Wamuzi News Ke
A tense international incident has rocked East Africa after renowned Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi sounded a chilling distress call from his hotel room in Dar es Salaam, claiming that unidentified armed men—believed to be plainclothes police officers—were trying to seize him in the dead of night.
In a dramatic X post made around 1 a.m., Mwangi raised alarm from inside his room at the Serena Hotel, declaring his life was in imminent danger.
“My life could be in danger. Armed men in civilian clothing are outside my room. They say they’re police but won’t show ID. They’ll have to break the door down to get me. I’m not opening.”
His voice shaking but defiant, Mwangi refused to comply with the mysterious figures who demanded he open the door, fearing an abduction or worse. He later posted a harrowing video showing the standoff.
One of the men attempted to lure him out, insisting hotel cameras were recording and he’d be safe. “Shuka here one we are calling reception, everyone sees, camera zinaone,” the man said.
“So nitakuwa safe?” Mwangi asked. “More than safe… yaani wewe una shida gani?” the voice responded.But Mwangi wasn’t convinced.
Another man, identifying himself as “Mr. Robinson” from the hotel staff, tried to calm the activist, yet failed to provide ID when requested—a red flag that heightened suspicions.The tension escalated.
The men became aggressive, urging Mwangi to surrender. Still, he stood his ground, challenging them to break down the door if they were truly police.Eventually, the armed group retreated, leaving the activist rattled but unbroken.
“There are too many abductions, killings, and unlawful detentions in this country—especially for those who criticize President Samia Suluhu. I fear for my life,” Mwangi said.
Around 2 a.m., he confirmed they had left his door and appeared to be stationed in the hotel lobby. He packed his bags and braced for what might come next, waiting for Tanzanian lawyers to intervene.
This shocking event comes just hours after a separate diplomatic bombshell: Kenyan opposition leader Martha Karua, LSK Council member Gloria Kimani, and journalist Lynn Ngugi were arrested upon landing at Julius Nyerere International Airport and deported back to Nairobi.
Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and activists Hanifa Adana and Hussein Khalid were also reportedly turned away—raising fears of a coordinated crackdown on Kenyan civil society figures entering Tanzania.
While it remains unclear if Mwangi was officially part of Karua’s delegation, his terrifying experience has ignited uproar online and drawn sharp reactions from Kenya’s political elite.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka condemned the developments, warning that Tanzania’s authoritarian drift could fracture the East African Community’s democratic fabric.
So far, Tanzanian authorities have remained silent on the bizarre siege at Serena Hotel and the wave of deportations targeting Kenyan activists.
But one thing is clear: the events unfolding in Dar es Salaam have lit a firestorm that could reshape regional politics—and put human rights in the crosshairs.
