Human rights groups demand sanctions on Ruto, Samia and Museveni over state-sponsored abuse
In Kenya, the coalition called for the prosecution of all individuals implicated in the abduction, disappearance, and killings of youth since June 2024. They also demanded the immediate release of Ruth Njeri, a website developer who was arrested for allegedly creating an application allowing Kenyans to reject specific clauses in the 2025 Finance Bill.
Human rights defenders have demanded international sanctions against regional leaders including President William Ruto and Tanzania President Samia Suluhu, following the alleged detention and torture of activists Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuahire in Tanzania.
The civil society organisations, led by former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, condemned the incidents as a serious attack on democratic freedoms, accusing governments of using state power to suppress dissent.
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In a statement on Monday, the coalition described the actions as a gross assault on basic human rights and democratic values.
Mutunga also criticised the silence and inaction of regional and international bodies, including the East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), and international allies, describing their response as “deafening.”
“We demand immediate international sanctions against Presidents Samia of Tanzania, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Ruto of Kenya, and Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba for continued atrocities against the people of East Africa,” Mutunga said.
The group further called on the Tanzanian government to provide a full explanation for the arrest, detention, and expulsion of Mwangi and Atuahire.
Both activists reportedly held valid East African passports and return tickets at the time of their arrest. They were part of a group of regional activists and lawyers who had travelled to Dar es Salaam to observe court proceedings involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu on May 19.
The two reported that security officers seized them from their hotels, held them incommunicado for three days, and then forcibly expelled them. Mwangi was dumped at the Kenyan border while Atuahire at the Ugandan border.
Upon his return to Nairobi, Mwangi posted photographs showing injuries to his face and neck, alleging that he had been blindfolded, beaten, and interrogated because of his activism. Atuahire, a Ugandan journalist and government critic, said she was subjected to physical assault, threats, and sexual violence.
The activists are now urging the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to launch an inquest into these and other similar allegations of illegal detention and torture across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
“We demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of all Tanzanian officials involved in these actions. Additionally, an inquest into allegations of illegal detention and torture must be undertaken by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania,” the group said.
The coalition has pledged to invoke international human rights mechanisms, including United Nations special procedures, to pressure Tanzania into ratifying the UN Convention Against Torture.
Museveni was urged to stop the implementation of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill 2025, which activists warn could “subject civilians to trial in military courts.”
In Kenya, the coalition called for the prosecution of all individuals implicated in the abduction, disappearance, and killings of youth since June 2024. They also demanded the immediate release of Ruth Njeri, a website developer who was arrested for allegedly creating an application allowing Kenyans to reject specific clauses in the 2025 Finance Bill.
On Sunday, activists and family members held a vigil outside Pangani Police Station demanding Njeri’s release after she was denied bail.
“President Ruto and the Parliament of Kenya, heed the cries of Kenyans and allow public participation on the 2025 Finance Bill. Release Ruth Njeri now, and we condemn the harassment of young people exercising their civic duty,” Mutunga said.
The coalition also urged the governments of Tanzania and Uganda to release opposition figures Tundu Lissu and Dr Kizza Besigye, along with all political prisoners held on what they described as fabricated charges.
They also called for the deployment of diplomatic observers to all legal proceedings involving opposition leaders and activists to ensure transparency and accountability.
“We look to the EAC, the East African Court of Justice, the International Commission of Jurists, foreign embassies in East Africa, and the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights to act decisively. The time for silence is over. We stand with the people of East Africa who are determined to end impunity,” Mutunga said.
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