Maraga to government: Tell Kenyans why Boniface Mwangi is still detained in Tanzania
Maraga said Mwangi has been detained without access to a lawyer, the courts or Kenyan consular officials, which goes against international human rights law.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga has asked the government to explain why activist Boniface Mwangi is still being held in Tanzania and what action it is taking to secure his release.
Maraga said Mwangi has been detained without access to a lawyer, the courts or Kenyan consular officials, which goes against international human rights law.
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“I am deeply concerned by the continued detention of Boniface Mwangi by authorities in the United Republic of Tanzania without access to the courts, legal counsel or consular representation, in clear violation of international human rights law,” he said.
The former CJ criticised the Kenyan government for failing to act with urgency and called for Mwangi to be freed without conditions.
“I condemn the failure by the Kenyan government to show any urgency in ensuring that Boniface Mwangi is freed immediately and unconditionally,” he said.
Maraga urged the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to give the public clear information about why Mwangi is being held, his condition, and what the government is doing to resolve the matter.
“I urge the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to urgently provide the public with clear information about Boniface Mwangi’s specific circumstances; the reason the Tanzanian government continues to detain him; and what effort it is making to ensure that Tanzania complies with international human rights law,” he said.
He also expressed his support for Mwangi’s family and called for his quick and safe return.
“During this difficult time, I extend my solidarity with the family and friends of Boniface Mwangi. I pray for his swift and safe return to his wife and children,” Maraga said.
Mwangi’s arrest on Monday, in Dar es Salaam, alongside Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, came as the two travelled to attend a court session for Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Since then, the activist’s family in Kenya has been under emotional distress, even as the government confirmed it had started diplomatic efforts for his release.
On Wednesday, activists from Kenya and Uganda, including Hussein Khalid and Nerima Wako, joined Mwangi’s family in a peaceful protest in Nairobi, calling for the release of the two.
They waved Kenyan and Ugandan flags and sang liberation songs, painting a vivid picture of the emotional weight Mwangi’s family is carrying.
“Boniface Mwangi, loving comrade, here we are but away from home, yes we love you, still we need you for the things you’ve done for us,” the protesters sang.
His wife, Njeri, broke down in tears, visibly overwhelmed. Though their son remained composed, Njeri held a handkerchief to her eyes and quietly moved to the back of the group, unable to contain the sorrow.
Speaking on Tuesday night on Citizen TV, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said that Mwangi and his colleagues “seem to have rattled the administration in Tanzania” and that diplomatic efforts were underway.
“They have not given a lot of detail on that score, but we all know, through the media, that a section of Kenyan individuals wanted to go and observe the judicial process that is going on there in Tanzania based on the heightened and emotive electoral processes that take place in any country,” Mudavadi said.
“The best we can conclude is that they seem to have rattled the administration in Tanzania.”
He added that the Kenyan embassy in Tanzania had made contact and expressed hope that Mwangi would be released soon.
“I have been in touch with the Kenyan mission there… and we hope that he will be released. Our embassy is in touch with him as well in terms of trying to figure out how he can be helped so that he can find his way back home.” Mudavadi said.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu also weighed in on the matter, warning against foreign interference in the country’s affairs.
On Monday, she said Tanzania was not a place where outsiders could say whatever they wanted.
“We have seen a flow of activists within our region starting to interfere in our affairs. They may have been controlled in their own countries, but they will not come and destroy us here,” she said.
Samia added that it was her duty to protect Tanzania’s sovereignty and national dignity.
Just a day earlier, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and politician Martha Karua were blocked from entering Tanzania and sent back to Nairobi alongside several lawyers.
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