The United States has officially designated Faustine Jackson Mafwele, a senior assistant commissioner in the Tanzanian Police Force, for gross human rights violations. This action, announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 21, stems from credible information linking Mafwele to the detention, torture, and sexual assault of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist and activist Agather Atuhaire. The alleged abuses occurred in May 2025 when Mwangi and Atuhaire visited Dar es Salaam to observe court proceedings involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

Under Section 7031(c) of the US Department of State appropriations law, the designation bars Mafwele from entering the United States, marking a significant international response to allegations against Tanzanian security forces targeting foreign activists and journalists during politically charged trials. Mwangi and Atuhaire publicly detailed their ordeal during a press briefing on June 2, 2025, shortly after their release and deportation from Tanzania, affirming they had traveled to Dar es Salaam in solidarity with Lissu.

Mwangi recounted a brutal experience, alleging he and Atuhaire were abducted and tortured by Tanzanian security forces. He described being stripped naked, suspended upside down, and sexually assaulted with foreign objects. The ordeal reportedly began when unknown men arrived at his hotel demanding he accompany them, escalating from an initial refusal to a confrontation with a larger group who took him to immigration offices. There, he was fingerprinted, photographed, and ordered to surrender his phone.

Further, Mwangi alleged that lawyers from the Tanganyika Law Society, who attempted to represent him, were denied access, despite interventions from Kenya's ambassador to Tanzania, Isaac Njenga. He also claimed a man identifying himself as a government official physically assaulted him in front of lawyers and Atuhaire, branding him "an enemy of the state" and threatening further violence. Mwangi was subsequently deported through the Horohoro border into Kenya, while Atuhaire was expelled via Mutukula into Uganda.

These serious allegations have ignited outrage among civil society organizations across Kenya and Uganda. Regional and international human rights groups have since called for independent investigations into the conduct of Tanzanian security agencies, advocating for stronger accountability measures and enhanced protections for activists, journalists, and foreign observers operating within the East African region. Tanzanian authorities have previously faced criticism from rights groups concerning alleged suppression of dissent, particularly during sensitive political trials and opposition activities.