The United States is calling for an immediate and full investigations into allegations of human rights abuses against two activists — Kenya’s Boniface Mwangi and Uganda’s Agather Atuhaire.

Mwangi and Atuhaire were recently detained in Tanzania where they had travelled to support opposition leader Tundu Lissu during his trial on Monday, May 19. However, the two activists were held incommunicado for days before resurfacing at various border points.

“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 U.S, through its Bureau of African Affairs, said in a statement.

Atuhaire was recognised by the U.S State Department in 2024 as an International Women of Courage Awardee.

“We call for an immediate and full investigation into the allegations of human rights abuses. We urge all countries in the region to hold to account those responsible for violating human rights, including torture,” the U.S adds.

In a chilling narration, Mwangi said that they were brutally tortured at the hands of Tanzanian authorities.

“We had been tortured, and we were told to strip naked and to go bathe. We couldn’t walk and were told to crawl and go wash off the blood,” Mwangi said. “We were handcuffed and blindfolded, so I didn’t even see her, but I heard her groaning in pain as they barked orders at us.”

He added: “Any attempt to speak to each other during the night we were tortured was met with kicks and insults. We were removed from the torture location in different vehicles.”

Mwangi was released on Thursday, May 22 and dumped in Ukunda, Kwale County, while Atuhaire was dumped in Mutukula, at the border of Uganda and Tanzania, hours later.