Tanzanian activist and journalist Maria Sarungi Tsehai has recounted her harrowing abduction in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Sunday. Tsehai, a prominent figure advocating for democratic reform in Tanzania, suspects the Tanzanian government may have been behind the incident, which was thwarted following swift intervention by rights groups.
Tsehai, who has lived in exile in Kenya since fleeing potential arrest four years ago, was kidnapped after finishing a hair appointment in central Nairobi. Three men dragged her from her taxi, handcuffed her, and demanded access to her mobile phones as they sped out of the city. “I thought they were going to break my neck,” she recalled. She believes the abduction was a tactic to silence her, a method often attributed to the Tanzanian government.
After hours of being held captive, her captors stopped the car and consulted with a superior before releasing her, instructing her to walk away without looking back.
The activist has been vocal about human rights violations in Tanzania, especially as the country faces growing repression ahead of the upcoming elections. Sarungi Tsehai sees the current political climate as a “precarious period” with increasing public awareness of government abuses.
Thanks to protocols with her family, Sarungi Tsehai’s disappearance was quickly reported to rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the Law Society of Kenya, who helped raise the alarm. She believes the media and online attention pressured her captors to release her. Despite the traumatic experience, she remains resolute, vowing to continue her activism.
Amnesty International has expressed concern over the rise of transnational repression, noting that Kenya has also seen a rise in abductions, particularly targeting critics of President William Ruto. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reports at least 82 abductions since protests in June 2024.