Octopizzo speaks after Boniface Mwangi’s emotional account of abuse in Tanzania
The country has continued to reel from the shockwaves of activist Boniface Mwangi’s testimony after he publicly broke down on Monday, June 2, 2025, while recounting the harrowing abuse he suffered at the hands of Tanzanian authorities.
Among those who have spoken out is renowned Kenyan artist and activist Henry Ohanga alias Octopizzo, who took to social media to express his anger and heartbreak.
In an emotional statement shared via his official X account on the night of Monday, June 2, Octopizzo condemned the assault on Mwangi as “a vile, cowardly act committed against someone simply for demanding justice.”
“What they did to Boniface Mwangi is unspeakable assault, a vile, cowardly act committed against someone simply for demanding justice for another human being, for standing up for what’s right,” he stated.
Octopizzo on Tanzania’s legacy
He went ahead to state that Tanzania had stained the legacy of its forefather Julius Nyerere and smeared it with cruelty and silence.
Octopizzo further questioned how an East African country can be so cruel to a citizen of one of the region’s members.
“Tanzania has stained the legacy of Julius Nyerere, smeared it with cruelty and silence. How did we get here? How does East Africa punish its own for compassion? For solidarity?” he wrote on X.
“It’s like the world is rotting in reverse; every day, we slip further into darkness. There’s no justice, no safety, no dignity left for those who dare to speak. It feels like humanity is unravelling, and those in power are the ones pulling the threads. There’s no excuse. No redemption in this. Only rage. And despair,” Octopizzo added.
Mwangi on his ordeal
Mwangi, on Monday, June 2, broke down in tears while recounting his harrowing ordeal when he was detained by Tanzanian authorities last month.
In a joint press briefing with his Ugandan counterpart, Agather Atuhaire, in Nairobi, Mwangi explained how he was instructed to strip naked and tortured.
“They told me to strip naked, and when I did, I was grabbed by four men who lifted me so fast. When they lifted me up, they tied me upside down. They started beating my feet; I screamed, but no tears were coming out. One guy said, ‘weka moto (ignite fire). They put lubricant in my rectum and started inserting objects in my rectum, he stated while breaking down into tears like a baby.
Mwangi was deported to Kenya after being detained by the Tanzanian authorities for three days. He had travelled to attend the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu at the invitation of the East Africa Law Society.
