Tanzanian activist and human rights defender, Maria Sarungi was Sunday afternoon abducted from near her residence in Nairobi.
Maria was taken by three armed men in a black Noah vehicle from Chaka Place in Nairobi’s Kilimani area at approximately 3:15 pm on Sunday, officials and witnesses said.
“Maria, a Tanzanian independent media editor and human rights defender, was kidnapped by three armed men in a black Noah from Chaka Place, Kilimani, Nairobi, Kenya, at 3:15 pm today. Teams are on-site,” Amnesty Kenya posted on X.
The said abduction was widely condemned a cross section of Kenyans and in particular human rights activists who demanded action to stop the trend.
There was no immediate comment from police over the incident. It is not clear where she was by Sunday evening amid fears she would be driven to Tanzania for possible incarceration.
A video was shared online that captured two men visiting the office of Maria days before the abduction happened.
UN Resident Coordinator, Kenya Stephen Johnson said he was concerned about the issue.
“Very concerned at this report,” he said in a post on X.
Activist Boniface Mwangi said Kenya should be held accountable if the fellow activist and journalist is harmed.
“The Tanzanian government in conjunction with Kenyan police have abducted Tanzanian human rights defender Maria. Maria has been living in Kenya legally after she was threatened with death by her government, and she moved to Kenya. If she is taken back to Tanzania, she might be tortured or even killed. The Ruto government will have been responsible,” he said.
Tanzania opposition leader Tundu Lissu condemned the incident saying Maria Sarungi-Tsehai was one of Tanzania’s foremost and fearless critics of the Samia regime and a dearest friend.
“A strident opponent of the Magufuli dictatorship, Maria had fled to exile in Kenya since just before the fraudulent 2020 general elections and had been running Chanzo TV, a pro-democracy online platform.”
“While we hope and pray for Maria’s life and safety, we must call upon the Kenyan government and all people of goodwill from around the world to intervene in whatever capacity they can to help secure Maria’s safe return to her family,” he said.
He added: “And we must tell whoever is behind Maria’s abduction and disappearance that no amount of terror and violence or intimidation will silence us. That many many more Marias will step forward to take up her fight for democracy and decency in Tanzania.”
This is the latest such incident of abduction to happen and affecting foreigners. Last month, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Bezigye was abducted from Nairobi before being driven to Kampala.
Earlier on, a group of Turkish education officials were abducted in Nairobi and shipped to Ankara for interrogation. This attracted international condemnation. Government officials tried to justify the actions amid calls from activists who said Nairobi is no longer safe for such parties.
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