Tanzania: Ignore Videos and Graphics Claiming Kenyan Activist Boniface Mwangi Was Abducted After Tanzania Ordeal
IN SHORT: In May 2025, Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was detained and allegedly tortured in Tanzania. A few weeks after his release, claims emerged that he had been abducted in Kenya. However, these claims are fabricated.
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has been abducted in his home country just days after he was released by Tanzanian authorities. That’s according to a video doing the rounds on social media.
The video appears to be a news bulletin from Citizen TV, a news channel that broadcasts across Kenya. It features a “BREAKING NEWS” banner, with “BONIFACE MWANGI ABDUCTED” displayed beneath it.
Posted on 4 June 2025, it shows Citizen TV anchor Yvonne Okwara reporting on the alleged abduction. In the video, she seemingly states that Mwangi was abducted from his home in Lukenya, Machakos county.
Okwara can be heard saying: “His last known location, as indicated by a cell phone ping, was near the Namanga border, raising serious concerns that he may be taken back to Tanzania.”
She adds that Mwangi’s fate is “currently unknown, and the circumstances of his apparent re-abduction suggest a pattern of deliberate silencing rather than random violence”.
The claim also appears on a graphic featuring the logo of Citizen Digital, the TV station’s online platform.
The graphic quotes Hussein Khalid, a Kenyan human rights activist, stating that Mwangi was indeed abducted in Kenya.
In May, Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire were detained after they travelled to Tanzania to attend the treason trial of the opposition leader, Tundu Lissu. Mwangi and Atuhaire later claimed that they were tortured while in detention. Khalid was among the first people to meet Mwangi after his release.
Mwangi, also a photojournalist, is known for his outspoken views on social and political issues.
But how true are the claims of his abduction in Kenya? We checked.
Video and graphic fabricated
In the video, the newsreader starts by saying: “Folks, my ears are ringing. The noise is at its peak yet again in this country.” She sounds natural, and the video appears to be authentic. However, when she goes on to report on Mwangi, her voice changes and sounds artificial.
As the video progresses, her pronunciations also become noticeably off. For instance, she mispronounces the name “Boniface” and sounds like she’s saying Mwangi was abducted from his “familial home” instead of “family home”.
These are pointers that the video could have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI). AI tools use computer algorithms to perform some tasks typically done by humans, such as answering questions, writing code, and creating images and videos.
Local and international media have reported extensively on Mwangi’s detention and alleged torture in Tanzania. However, we found no credible media reports on his alleged abduction in Kenya.
The president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Faith Odhiambo, who was leading the calls for Mwangi’s release from detention, dismissed the abduction claims as false.
“Our attention has been drawn to a series of false statements and deepfakes allegedly concerning the abduction of Boniface Mwangi. We urge members of the public to disregard this fake online campaign and disregard all attempts of misdirection and misinformation,” she posted on the social media platform X.
The LSK comprises all practising advocates in Kenya and advises the legal profession, government, and the public on matters related to the administration of justice in the country.
Citizen TV usually posts its graphics on its official social media platforms, including Facebook and X. We searched for the circulating graphic on these platforms and came up empty.
Khalid also dismissed the graphic as fake and confirmed that Mwangi was not abducted.
Mwangi’s social media accounts were inactive during his detention in Tanzania. But he has been active on social media since his release, posting on both his Facebook page and X account, even after the abduction claim went viral.
The claims are false and should be ignored.
Crédito: Link de origem