Nairobi — The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has raised the alarm over a surge in abductions and torture cases across East Africa, warning that the trend poses a “direct threat” to regional stability and American interests.
The committee’s chair and ranking Republican, Senator Jim Risch, said the escalating human rights violations reflect weakening institutions and a growing culture of impunity in the region.
“Rising abductions and torture in East Africa signal more than abuse — they expose state decay and impunity,” Risch said in a statement Thursday.
“That’s a direct threat to regional stability, security, and U.S. interests.”
Although the senator did not name specific countries, his remarks come amid increasing concerns about political repression, enforced disappearances, and crackdowns on civil liberties in several East African nations.
Senator Risch’s comments follow a recent outcry from Washington over the alleged mistreatment of two prominent East African activists — Ugandan journalist and rights advocate Agather Atuhaire, and Kenyan photojournalist and social justice crusader Boniface Mwangi — during a visit to Tanzania.
The US Bureau of African Affairs expressed “deep concern” over the reported violations and called for a full investigation into the alleged abuse.
“The United States is deeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment in Tanzania of two East African activists — Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi,” the Bureau said in a statement on May 24.
Ugandan activist awarded
The US noted that Atuhaire, a well-known anti-corruption campaigner, had received the prestigious International Women of Courage Award from the US Department of State in 2024.
The award honors women who demonstrate exceptional bravery and leadership in promoting peace, justice, human rights, and gender equality.
“We call for an immediate and full investigation into the allegations of human rights abuses,” the Bureau added, further urging governments in the region to ensure accountability for those responsible for acts of torture or other rights violations.
Details surrounding the alleged mistreatment remain unclear, and Tanzanian authorities have yet to issue an official response to the allegations or to Washington’s calls for accountability.
Atuhaire and Mwangi are widely recognized across East Africa for their activism, often using their platforms to advocate for government accountability, transparency, and the protection of civil liberties.
The two were part of a delegation of activists who had traveled to Tanzania to observe the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, a vocal critic of President Samia Suluhu.
Lissu faces treason charges and has been barred from participating in the country’s upcoming October 2025 elections.
Shrinking civic space
According to Ugandan media reports, Atuhaire was later found abandoned near the Mutukula border between Tanzania and Uganda, while Mwangi was discovered at the Horohoro border between Tanzania and Kenya.
Human rights organizations across East Africa have echoed US concerns, warning of a shrinking civic space and rising intimidation of dissenting voices.
In a separate incident earlier this year, prominent Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai — an outspoken critic of President Samia Suluhu Hassan — was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, by armed men and released several hours later.
Tsehai recounted being manhandled, choked, and shouted at by four unidentified men who forced her into a vehicle.
She believes the attack was an attempt to access her social media accounts and silence her whistleblowing efforts.
“I am sure that the reason for the abduction was to get access to my social media and [because of] the whistleblowing job that I do,” she said, adding that her abductors repeatedly asked how to unlock her phone.
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Tsehai fled to Kenya in 2020 seeking asylum after threats from the government of the late President John Magufuli.
She blamed Tanzanian authorities for the incident, alleging collaboration between Kenyan and Tanzanian agents.
Kenya has previously faced criticism for enabling foreign security operations on its soil, raising concerns over violations of international law.
In 2024, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was reportedly abducted in Nairobi by Ugandan security agents and forcibly taken across the border to face a military court.
While the Ugandan government claimed Kenya assisted in the operation, Kenyan officials denied any involvement.
Kenya has also faced scrutiny over a series of disappearances allegedly linked to state security agents, particularly following youth-led anti-government protests in June last year.
