Boniface Mwangi reflects on his Tanzania ordeal in emotional birthday tribute
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has used his 42nd birthday to reflect on the pain and trauma he still carries from the torture he endured in Tanzania two months ago.
In an emotional message shared on his X account on Thursday, July 10, 2025, Mwangi opened up about the ongoing physical and emotional toll of the ordeal, which also affected Ugandan journalist and human rights defender Agather Atuhaire.
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“Today I turn 42 years old. Almost two months ago, Agather and I were abducted and tortured in the most inhumane and gruesome way. The Tanzanian police did terrible things to us, and it will take time to heal, but none of the things they did broke our spirits,” he recalled.
“I wake up with severe pain in my chest. It’s not physical; it’s emotional, like someone has pierced my heart. When I’m seated and I quiet myself, my body becomes engulfed with an overwhelming sadness. I sometimes find myself crying alone,” Mwangi lamented.
Mwangi said he and Atuhaire are still struggling to walk properly due to injuries sustained during the torture. He described how medication helps with physical pain but not the mental anguish, for which, he added, there is no cure.
“Our torturers intended to break us, steal our sanity, and a part of me cracked a bit, but we survived. I know for sure that I will heal, and I will never stop the good fight,” he expressed.
Mwangi also used the moment to express gratitude to those who advocated for their release when the two were held incommunicado in Tanzanian custody.
“We are alive and able to continue fighting because you fought for us. Thank you.”
To mark his birthday, he announced he would be stepping away from social media for a while to focus on healing.
“I’m alive for a reason, and I will not let what happened to us define or scar me forever,” he said.
Adding;
“Don’t stop injecting; continue organising, and mobilising to ensure Kasongo is a one-term president. He cannot kill us and lead us.”
The two were arrested in May while in Dar es Salaam to attend a court hearing for Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Mwangi and Atuhaire were released in late May 2025 after reportedly being tortured and sexually assaulted by their Tanzanian captors.
