Following an abduction incident that occurred in Nairobi’s Kilimani estate, a Tanzanian media editor and activist Maria Tsehai Sarungi was released on Sunday evening.
The activist was released following an intense follow-up by human rights groups and defenders, including the Law Society of Kenya and Amnesty International Kenya.
It all began when Tsehai was picked up by three hooded men on Sunday afternoon at Chaka Place, Kilimani, where she had gone for a hair clinic.
The three men who had a Toyota Noah car are reported to have blocked her car before ejecting her. They then bundled her into their nearby waiting car and sped off.
An undated image of Tanzania journalist and human rights activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai.
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Linked In
Soon after, information about her arrest spread on social media like a bushfire, attracting the attention of human rights groups and the international community including the United Nations(UN).
UN Resident Coordinator to Kenya, Stephen Jackson, expressed concerns on Sunday over the abduction of Tsehai, describing the incident involving the Tanzanian national as deeply troubling.
This mainly emanated from a similar abduction incident where Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye was abducted in Nairobi by hooded men, only to appear in a Ugandan prison.
Tsehai, a Tanzanian activist has been living with her family in Nairobi following a political asylum she sought in Kenya after escaping the wrath of the leadership of the then-President John Pombe Magufuli.
Tsehai is reported to be a big critic of the Tanzanian government, highlighting corruption and human rights abuses in the neighbouring country.
This earned her enmity, censorship, and criticism from the government of her country of origin, forcing her to flee to Kenya.
Additionally, she is a vocal critic of current Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu and often publishes critical articles on her blog and social media accounts where she has a big following.
”Thank you very much, dear Kenyans and Tanzanians. I am safe and God is good. I will say thank you properly tomorrow,” Tsehai stated in a video shared after her release.
However the details of her abductors continue to remain scanty, even as the police embark on investigations.
An aerial view of Kilimani in Nairobi County.
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Techsawa