Abducted Prominent Tanzanian Human Rights Activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai Released
Updated: Jan 16
A prominent Tanzanian human rights activist, namely Maria Sarungi Tsehai, who was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, has been released by her kidnappers. That was reported by some African media on January 13, 2025.
According to the reports, Maria Sarungi Tsehai was captured in broad daylight by some armed men, in a housing estate in Nairobi's posh urban district of Westlands, in the afternoon of  January 12, 2025. She was then bundled into an automobile, and whisked away to unknown place. Some bus drivers are said to have tried to block the kidnappers' automobile but failed.
Notwithstanding the dramatic and pathetic abduction, the popular journalist and activist was released by the uncouth kidnappers unharmed after four hours in captivity, following an intervention by the Kenya Law Society, say the reports.
Ms Tsehai who is a formidable advocate for individual freedom and particularly freedom of press, is said to be a committed critic of the current government of Tanzania, that she has alleged of taking the country backwards politically through resumption of authoritarianism. As such, her non-profit organization called Change Tanzania is said to believe that the abduction of their boss was carried out by some Tanzanian security agents operating in Kenya.
This is not the first time, Tanzania security agents have been accused of unleashing horrible things like this on opponents of the government there. For instance, when a prominent main opposition politician called Mohamed Ali Kibao was abducted in similar style in Dar es Salaam on September 6, 2024, by some armed men, and a day later found brutally murdered on a beach in the city, the main opposition party accused the country's security forces of the murder. So far, there has been no reported police arrest for the barbaric killing of Mr Kibao.
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