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Ugandan human rights activist Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi are in police custody at the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Their arrest marks a sharp rise in tensions around the trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Reports from social media and regional civil society groups say both activists were taken into custody for being in Tanzania to watch the trial of Lissu, a high-profile case drawing concern from across the region and beyond.
Mwangi now faces possible charges under Tanzania’s immigration laws. Police reportedly warned him he could face up to three years in jail.
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The trouble began after he refused to leave his hotel room when armed officers arrived at 2a.m. Sources say he stayed inside out of fear for his safety. Tanzanian officials say he did not follow orders.
Atuhaire posted online earlier that she was in court to support Lissu. She wrote she was waiting on a ruling about whether security officers should be allowed in court and if the trial should continue by video link.
On Sunday morning, she joked on Twitter, “Let me sit near someone who can translate for me the decision,” as she followed the hearing.
Lissu, a former Tanzanian MP and deputy head of the opposition CHADEMA party, is on trial for sedition and incitement over remarks he made against government repression and the handling of the 2020 elections.
His case has drawn criticism from rights groups and legal bodies. Many question whether the court is free from political pressure. Tanzania’s government says it is following due process. But heavy police presence, limits on observers, and now the arrest of foreign activists have added to fears of misuse of power.
The detention of Atuhaire and Mwangi comes days after Tanzanian authorities barred Kenyan opposition leader Martha Karua and two lawyers from entering the country. They had come for events linked to the East Africa Law Society.
Ugandan rights groups have spoken out against the arrests. They say Tanzania has broken East African Community (EAC) rules on free movement and the right of citizens to observe court cases.
The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) said in a statement that Mwangi, a Kenyan journalist, and Atuhaire, a Ugandan lawyer and journalist, are still in custody. Mwangi arrived in Tanzania on May 18, 2025. THRDC, working with the Tanganyika Law Society and the East Africa Law Society, is giving them legal help.
THRDC urged Tanzanian police and immigration officials to follow national law and international rights standards for people in detention. It also reminded the government that EAC citizens have the right to move freely in the region. This case must respect the EAC Treaty and its rules, the group said.