ESTHER PASSARIS CONDEMNS TORTURE AND SEXUAL ABUSE OF ACTIVIST BONIFACE MWANGI 

Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris has condemned the unlawful arrest, inhumane treatment, and violent deportation of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire from Tanzania, describing the incident as “a stain on our region’s collective conscience.”

In a statement issued on her X account, Passaris shared her distress over reports of torture, sexual abuse, and humiliation inflicted upon the two activists during their detention. “As a mother, a legislator, and a defender of human rights, I am deeply disturbed by the accounts of torture, sexual abuse, and humiliation they endured,” Passaris said. “These are not the values that define our continent, our leadership, or our future.“

Mwangi recounted harrowing details of his ordeal, including being stripped naked, blindfolded, tied upside down, and subjected to sexual violence by Tanzanian security agents. “They told me to strip naked… tied me upside down, put lubricant in my rectum, and started inserting objects in my backside,” Mwangi stated in a public account on June 2, 2025.

While acknowledging President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s trailblazing leadership as one of Africa’s few female heads of state, Passaris urged her to address the abuses.

“President  @SuluhuSamia has broken many glass ceilings, and her leadership has inspired countless women across Africa. But no vision for progress can coexist with the abuse of power and the silencing of activists. I call on her, not just as a Head of State, but as a mother and a champion for change, to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated and that justice is served.”

She concluded with a message of solidarity, “We pray for healing, strength, and justice for Boniface and Agather. May their courage continue to light the way toward a freer, fairer, and more humane Africa.”