Boniface Mwangi’s Wife Weeps During Nairobi CBD Protests [VIDEO]

Investigative journalist Njeri Mwangi on Wednesday, May 21, became emotional while speaking to the press about the detention of her husband, Boniface Mwangi, in Tanzania.

This is as the ongoing detention of the activist by Tanzanian authorities in Dar es Salaam has deeply affected his family, despite the Kenyan government's announcement on Tuesday, May 20, that diplomatic efforts are underway to secure his release.

Mwangi was arrested on Monday, May 19, in Dar es Salaam along with Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire. The two had travelled to Tanzania to attend a court hearing for opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

On Wednesday, activists from Kenya and Uganda—including Hussein Khalid and Nerima Wako—joined Mwangi’s family in Nairobi for a peaceful protest calling for the pair’s release. They waved Kenyan and Ugandan flags in solidarity.

Here is the video:

Boniface Mwangi's wife weeps during protests in Nairobi CBD following her husband's arrest in Tanzania#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/RjZFUdWGQ5 — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) May 21, 2025

Mwangi’s wife, Njeri, broke down in tears as the group sang freedom songs, highlighting the emotional toll the situation had taken on their family. 

"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.

While Mwangi's son managed to stay composed, his wife struggled to keep it together. Clutching a handkerchief to her eyes and with slumped shoulders, she fought to contain her grief until the emotions overwhelmed her. Unable to bear it any longer, she quietly stepped away from the front lines of the protest, retreating to the back, consumed by sorrow.

During her media address on Wednesday, May 21, Njeri was visibly distraught as she pleaded for answers about his location. She urged Tanzanian officials to free the activist, accusing them of infringing on his rights.

“I last spoke to Boniface on Monday afternoon. The Tanzanian authorities are saying they have deported him, but why is there no communication? Where is Bonnie?” she posed, adding, “Give us back Boniface, wounded or dead. It has been very agonising for my family, and it is not fair or right what they are doing to him.”

Unlike other Kenyans recently detained and deported, such as Martha Karua, Boniface Mwangi has not yet been deported. Boniface Mwabukusi, President of the Tanganyika Law Society, confirmed that Mwangi remains in the custody of immigration authorities.

Previous reports had indicated that the human rights activist was arrested on allegations of giving false information about the purpose of his trip to Tanzania. Speaking on Citizen TV on Tuesday night, Diaspora and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS) Musalia Mudavadi said Mwangi and his team "appear to have unsettled the Tanzanian administration."

He remarked in response to a question about whether Tanzanian officials had provided any explanation for the arrests.

"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," he stated.

Still, Mudavadi voiced hope that Mwangi would be released soon, thanks to ongoing diplomatic efforts. He added that any other issues concerning Mwangi’s stay in Tanzania would be addressed at a later stage.

"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," he continued.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu warned foreign activists against meddling in the country’s internal matters, backing the decision to deport the Kenyan activists. Speaking at a public event on Monday, May 19, Suluhu did not hold back—she criticised the Kenyan activists, accusing them of trying to stir unrest in her country.

Boniface Mwangi and his wife, Njeri Mwangi. /BONIFACE MWANGI