A Tanzanian human rights activist who was briefly abducted on Sunday says she was targeted because of her comments accusing the government of abusing and oppressing its people. Maria Sarungi Tsehai was kidnapped in Nairobi by unidentified gunmen, alarming fellow activists.
Tanzanian human rights activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai said she is fortunate to be free after armed men abducted her in Kenya’s capital Sunday afternoon.
Tsehai said she was out walking when three men grabbed her, bundled her into a vehicle and physically assaulted her as they tried to establish her identity and gain access to her mobile phone.
“I am sure part of the abduction was to get access to my devices and to get access to the activities I do online, which sometimes include whistleblowing and also doing a lot about abductions in Tanzania. That’s the first thing I felt they really wanted,” she said.
The Tanzanian national, who has been living in Kenya for the past four years, has criticized her country’s government and the ruling party for alleged human rights violations and for closing civic space for critics, journalists, opposition groups, and politicians.
The armed men eventually abandoned her on a street in the dark and told her not to look back. Tsehai said she was able to secure some of her belongings and money and take a cab ride home, where she contacted family members and supporters who had posted on social media about her disappearance, and had trooped to police stations trying to find her.
There was no immediate comment from Tanzanian officials on the alleged abduction.
Kenya has seen an increase in the abduction of foreigners in recent months. Several Turkish asylum seekers were abducted in October, and four of them were sent back to their country, a move that has angered the United Nations and rights groups.
A month later, Ugandan opposition politician Kizza Besigye found himself in front of a Ugandan military court; his wife said he was kidnapped in Nairobi.
Roland Ebole is an East African regional researcher at Amnesty International. He said the kidnapping trend is not good for Kenya if it wants to attract foreign business and diplomatic activity.
“This is a very dangerous precedent for Kenya, considering that we host many expatriates in this country. Kenya is set to be the third largest U.N. hub in the world, and when foreign nationals do not feel protected, they don’t feel secure in this country, then this is really dangerous,” he said.
Rights groups such as Amnesty are also following up on the abduction of Kenyan government critics, a trend that started after anti-government protests in June and July that included the storming of parliament by critics of a bill to increase taxes.
Despite the recent human rights violations in Kenya, Tsehai said she feels safer in Kenya than in Tanzania due to its vibrant citizens’ movement for good governance, rights, and the rule of law.
“What I experienced yesterday, I don’t know how many people know when you are being abducted and you see people fighting for you, and they don’t know who you are. That gives me a sense. Later, I was told that social media Kenyans were trending and commenting about it as if I was one of their own. The second that gives me safety and security, unlike in Tanzania, there is a rule of law,” she said.
Tanzania is expected to hold a general election later this year, and rights groups and opposition groups are already predicting the government will attempt to stifle dissent and political activity.
