Boniface Mwangi's wife, Njeri weeps as activists chant slogans calling for the release from detention of her husband by Tanzanian authorities. /SCREENGRABThe continued detention of activist Boniface Mwangi by Tanzanian authorities in Dar es Salaam has taken an emotional toll on his family back home, even after the government confirmed on Tuesday that it had initiated diplomatic efforts to facilitate his release.
Mwangi was arrested on Monday, May 19, in Dar es Salaam, alongside Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, after they flew to Tanzania to attend a court session for main opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
On Wednesday, activists drawn from Kenya and Uganda, including Hussein Khalid and Nerima Wako, joined Mwangi's family in Nairobi in holding a peaceful protest demanding for the release of the duo.
They held Kenyan and Ugandan flags.
Mwangi's wife, Njeri, was overcome with emotions and broke into tears as the group sang liberation songs, painting a picture of the emotional torment her family was going through.
"Boniface Mwangi, loving comrade, here we are but away from home, yes we love you, still we need you for the things you've done for us," the activists sang in unison.
Whereas Mwangi's son remained composed, his wife was barely holding herself together.
She held a handkerchief to her eyes, shoulders slumped, in a desperate move to suppress emotional pain before she was overcome by the torrent of emotions and decided to move from the frontline to the back, drowned in sorrow.
On Tuesday night, while appearing on Citizen TV's prime time news, Diaspora and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi said Mwangi and his crew "seem to have rattled the administration in Tanzania".
This was after he was asked whether Tanzanian authorities had given a reason behind their detention.
"They have not given a lot of detail on that score, but we all know. through the media that a section of Kenyan individuals wanted to go and observe the judicial process that is going on there in Tanzania based on the heightened and emotive electoral processes that take place in any country.
"The best we can conclude is that they seem to have rattled the administration in Tanzania."
Mudavadi nonetheless expressed optimism that Mwangi will be released as soon as possible through diplomatic channels that have since been activated.
He said any other arising matter relating to Mwangi's presence in Tanzania will be resolved later.
"I have been in touch with the Kenyan mission there...and we hope that he will be released. Our embassy is in touch with him as well in terms of trying to figure out how he can be helped so that he can find his way back home."
True to Mudavadi's word, foreign activists' presence in Tanzania appears to have rattled the authorities, going by the stern reaction President Samia Suluhu Hassan gave on Monday.
Mama Samia asserted that while freedom of expression is global, Tanzania's internal stability was not up for negotiation.
She said Tanzania was not fallow land where everyone can come and say whatever they want.
“We have seen a flow of activists within our region starting to interfere in our affairs. They may have been controlled in their own countries, but they will not come and destroy us here.”
She emphasised her constitutional responsibility to safeguard Tanzania’s sovereignty, independence, and national dignity.
On Sunday, constitutional lawyer and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua were denied entry into Tanzania and sent back to Nairobi together with several other lawyers.
Only former CJ David Maraga was allowed entry on Monday and was in Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court when Lissu made his first physical appearance in court since he was arrested on April 9.
Lissu is facing grave charges - treason and incitement - and could spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.
