Detention, harassment shake Kenyan expatriates in Tanzania

Human rights groups have warned that Kenyans in Tanzania remain vulnerable to arbitrary detention, deportation, revocation of visas, work permits and contracts, as well as cyber and physical surveillance.

The groups highlighted concerns for the estimated 20,000 expatriate Kenyan teachers, entrepreneurs, health workers, hoteliers, traders, bankers, engineers, and students living in Tanzania following threats against them. They noted the ongoing violence and the fatalities among Tanzanian protesters as a worsening situation.

Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, assured the public that he spoke with his Tanzanian counterpart, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, guaranteeing the safety of Kenyans.

Speaking in his personal capacity, Irungu Houghton, Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya, urged the Kenyan government to urgently safeguard all Kenyans at risk despite Mudavadi’s assurances. Vocal Africa and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) echoed these concerns, calling for renewed efforts to restore democratic integrity and prevent further instability in the region.

“After days of internet shutdowns, blackouts, and curfews, the truth is slowly emerging despite state censorship, raising credible concerns about the conditions of Tanzanian protesters and Kenyans caught up in the unrest,” Houghton said.

Illegal detentions

Journalists in Dar es Salaam reported that many teachers working in international schools with expired permits or lacking proper documentation were either in hiding or returning to Kenya.

Houghton also condemned the illegal detention of two Kenyans, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, in Uganda for 39 days, despite police, military, and courts denying custody until their release.

He warned that civic space is shrinking across the region, with arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, criminalisation of dissent, prolonged detention, and release without charges becoming increasingly common.

Although a court in Uganda dismissed a habeas corpus application to produce Njagi and Oyoo, Houghton remains confident justice can still be sought at the East African Court of Justice.

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu and senior security officials made unsubstantiated claims that foreign nationals, particularly Kenyans, were responsible for election-related violence that left hundreds dead, mostly by police shootings.

Despite Mudavadi’s diplomatic assurances, human rights activists argue that the fatal shooting of Kenyan teacher John Okoth Ogutu on October 29, 2025, and the incommunicado detention of businessman Fredrick Lorent Obuya two days later, demonstrate the ongoing risks to Kenyans. “These are not isolated incidents. The escalation of repression by the Tanzanian government against the public, journalists, and human rights defenders appears to be extending even to those without a voice or vote,” Houghton said.

He stressed that under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the Foreign Service Act, the Privileges and Immunities Act, and Kenya’s Foreign and Diaspora policies, the government has an unequivocal duty to protect citizens abroad and demand accountability when their rights are violated.

Tanzanian authorities deny targeting foreigners or opposition politicians during post-election crackdowns. Vice President John Nchimbi indicated at a SADC summit that the overnment was pursuing reconciliation, ironically the day after the arrest of Chadema Secretary-General Amani Golugwa in Arusha.

Chadema confirmed Golugwa’s arrest and condemned the ongoing detentions, noting that only three of the party’s six top leaders remain free following earlier arrests of Chairperson Tundu Lissu and Vice-Chairperson John Heche. Other wanted officials, include John Mnyika, Brenda Rupia, Godbless Lema, Hilda Newton, Deogratius Mahinyila, and Amani Golugwa.

Religious leaders Bishop Josephat Gwajima and Bishop Machumu Maximillian Kadutu were also listed. Police had urged them to surrender by November 7, 2025, but several remain at large.

Religious and civic leaders, led by Bishop Benson Bagonza of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, urged the Tanzanian government to halt arbitrary arrests, acknowledge mistakes, and foster dialogue to promote unity, healing, and reconciliation.

Human rights activists stress that allegations of Kenyans orchestrating violence are unsubstantiated. “These claims are unsupported by SADC, EAC, AU, or EU observer missions monitoring the elections,” Houghton said. These missions reported widespread voter intimidation, ballot stuffing, excessive force against opposition supporters, and media and internet shutdowns, with no credible evidence implicating foreigners.

Scapegoating warned

Activists warned against scapegoating, citing historical examples such as Hitler blaming Jews in Germany, Idi Amin deporting Asians, and Mugabe’s land seizures, as cautionary lessons against targeting minorities during crises.

The Kenyan government has, however, been praised for evacuating nationals from Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Madagascar, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sudan. It also reportedly paid Sh3 million to secure the release of Samuel Njagi from Ethiopian captors.

Njagi had been missing since October 28, 2025 while working as a plant manager in Debre Berhan, Amhara Region. Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo have not yet been released, and their families lack access to them, legal counsel, or consular services.

Activists hope Mudavadi’s talks with Tanzania will prevent targeting Kenyans and urge urgent investigations into John Ogutu’s death, proper post-mortem, repatriation, and legal procedures, including family and consular access.