Kenyan activist and photojournalist Boniface Mwangi sounded a distress alarm early Monday, May 19, 2025, after he was confronted by armed men at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning and was made public via a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account at 1:00 a.m.
Mwangi claimed that several men in civilian clothes, who identified themselves as police officers, were stationed outside his hotel room and demanded that he open the door. In a video he posted online, the men can be heard urging him to come to the hotel reception and assuring him of his safety. However, they refused to provide identification when asked.
“My life is in danger. I’m at Serena Hotel, Dar es Salaam, and there are armed men in civilian clothes outside my room. They claim they are police officers but have refused to identify themselves,” Mwangi tweeted. “They will have to break the door to remove me here. I’m not going to open it.”
The incident follows closely on the heels of the controversial detention and deportation of former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and activists Hanifa Adana and Hussein Khalid, who had traveled to Tanzania for a regional civil society meeting. The Tanzanian authorities have yet to issue a formal statement regarding either case.
Mwangi’s situation has sparked concern across the region, with human rights organizations condemning what they view as a troubling pattern of repression. Amnesty International and other advocacy groups have called for immediate protection for Mwangi and accountability for those responsible.
As of Monday morning, Mwangi reported that the armed men had left his door but were still within the hotel premises. He stated that he would not leave until Tanzanian lawyers arrived to ensure his safety. The situation remains under close watch.
