Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai released after abduction in Kenya

Prominent Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai, a staunch critic of her government, has been released hours after being abducted by armed men in Nairobi, Kenya.

Maria, known for her outspoken advocacy for land rights and freedom of expression, shared an emotional video on X (formerly Twitter), telling her 1.3 million followers, “I have been saved.” Amnesty International Kenya confirmed her abduction on Sunday afternoon, stating she was forcibly taken into a vehicle in the Kenyan capital.

The Law Society of Kenya president, Faith Odhiambo, announced they had intervened to secure her release, warning against using Kenya for such operations: “We will not allow this.” Kenyan and Tanzanian officials remain silent on the incident.

Maria has long accused Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan of reversing democratic progress, citing the crackdown on opposition activists. Last year saw arrests, brutal killings, and fears of a return to repression ahead of the 2025 presidential elections.

Change Tanzania, a movement Maria founded, alleged that Tanzanian agents were behind her abduction, branding it an attempt to silence her criticism.

This is not Kenya’s first entanglement in cross-border abductions. Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was kidnapped in Nairobi last year and extradited under murky circumstances, while domestically, over 80 people have reportedly disappeared following anti-tax protests.

Calls are growing for accountability as rights groups, and officials, like Kenya’s Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi, criticize the government’s failure to tackle the alarming trend of enforced disappearances.