The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has raised serious concerns over a sharp increase in abductions and torture cases across East Africa, warning that the trend threatens regional stability and endangers American interests.
Committee Chair Senator Jim Risch, a senior Republican, issued a strongly worded statement on Thursday, saying the growing pattern of human rights violations reflects a weakening of democratic institutions and an entrenched culture of impunity.
“Rising abductions and torture in East Africa signal more than abuse — they expose state decay and impunity,” Risch said. “That’s a direct threat to regional stability, security, and U.S. interests.”
While he did not name specific countries, Senator Risch’s comments come amid mounting concerns about enforced disappearances, political repression, and shrinking civic space in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
His remarks follow an outcry from Washington over the alleged mistreatment of two East African activists — Ugandan journalist and anti-corruption crusader Agather Atuhaire, and Kenyan photojournalist Boniface Mwangi — during a recent visit to Tanzania.
On May 24, the US Bureau of African Affairs issued a statement expressing “deep concern” over reports that the two were abducted and mistreated while in Tanzania. It called for a thorough investigation and urged regional governments to uphold human rights.
“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,” read the statement.
Atuhaire, a recipient of the 2024 International Women of Courage Award from the US Department of State, is widely recognized for her leadership in anti-corruption efforts, human rights advocacy, and gender equality.
The exact details surrounding the alleged mistreatment remain unclear, and Tanzanian authorities have yet to respond to the allegations or the US government’s call for accountability.
Both Atuhaire and Mwangi were part of a civil society delegation observing the trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges and has been barred from running in the October 2025 elections.
According to regional media reports, Atuhaire was later found near the Mutukula border with Uganda, while Mwangi was discovered at the Horohoro border with Kenya. Human rights groups have linked the incidents to increasing hostility toward critics of the government.
These events have intensified scrutiny over the shrinking space for civic engagement in East Africa. Civil liberties organizations have warned of rising intimidation, harassment, and violence targeting dissenters.
In another troubling incident earlier this year, Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai was abducted in Nairobi by armed men. She was later released but claimed she was physically assaulted, choked, and interrogated about her social media activity.
Tsehai, who fled to Kenya in 2020 seeking asylum following threats from the late President John Magufuli’s regime, blamed the Tanzanian government for the attack and alleged coordination between Kenyan and Tanzanian operatives.
Kenya has previously faced backlash for allegedly allowing foreign security operations within its borders, raising legal and diplomatic questions. In 2024, Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye was reportedly abducted in Nairobi by Ugandan security agents and taken across the border to face trial — an operation the Ugandan government said Kenya facilitated, though Nairobi denied involvement.
The latest warnings from the US underline growing international unease over the deterioration of democratic freedoms and human rights across East Africa. As calls for accountability grow louder, the region faces heightened pressure to address abuses and reaffirm commitments to the rule of law.
