Maria Sarungi Tsehai, a Tanzanian activist known for her criticism of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, was reportedly abducted by three armed men in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday afternoon.
According to Amnesty International, she was forcibly taken into a black car and released hours later.
“God is good! I have fought and you have fought. I am now safe many thanks to everyone and I will talk more tomorrow,” Sarungi Tsehai wrote on X (formerly Twitter) following the ordeal.
Her husband, David Tsehai, alleged that the abduction was carried out by Tanzanian security services, stating: “It was the scariest moment of my life. There is no doubt in my mind (it is) the thugs of the Tanzania Information and Security Services (TISS) who are behind this.” The couple fled to Kenya four years ago to escape persecution in Tanzania.
Tanzanian and Kenyan authorities have not yet commented on the incident.
Amnesty International researcher Roland Ebole described the abduction as “transnational repression” occurring on Kenyan soil.
This incident follows a pattern of reported abductions of critics ahead of Tanzania’s upcoming elections.
