Two Kenyan citizens who were detained during post-election unrest in Tanzania have been released and are now in the care of the Kenyan High Commission in Dar es Salaam. Their release follows days of diplomatic engagement and public outcry from human rights organisations and families in Kenya.
The two, lawyer and tour operator Fredrick Lorent Obuya and financial professional John Gitahi Nderitu, had been arrested as part of a broader crackdown on demonstrators protesting the outcome of Tanzania’s general elections held on October 29, 2025. The protests erupted after the detention of opposition leaders amid President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s bid to retain power.
The Kenyan High Commission confirmed the release on Saturday, November 8, 2025, stating that Ambassador Isaac Njenga had received the two Kenyans and that they were freed without charges. “The High Commissioner, H.E. Ambassador Isaac Njenga, received two Kenyans who had been arrested in Tanzania following the protests of 29th October 2025 during the General Elections. Mr Fredrick Lorent Obuya, a lawyer and tour operator, and Mr John Gitahi Nderitu, a financial professional, were released without charges to the custody of the Kenya High Commission in Dar es Salaam. They thanked the mission and looked forward to reuniting with their families,” the statement read.
The arrests had drawn widespread criticism from human rights organisations, which condemned Tanzania’s handling of the protests and its treatment of foreign nationals. In a joint statement issued on November 7, VOCAL Africa, Defenders Coalition, and Amnesty International Kenya denounced what they described as “ongoing violence, human rights violations, and the breakdown of the rule of law” following the disputed polls.
The groups cited several incidents, including the killing of John Okoth Ogutu, a Kenyan teacher at Sky Schools in Dar es Salaam, who was allegedly shot by security forces on election day. They also referenced the detention of Obuya, who had been held incommunicado at Oyster Bay Police Station since October 31.
“These are not isolated incidents but part of escalating repression unleashed by Tanzanian authorities against the public, journalists, and human rights defenders in the aftermath of the disputed elections,” the organisations stated.
The human rights groups also expressed alarm over remarks allegedly made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and other senior officials blaming foreigners—particularly Kenyans—for the unrest. They described such claims as “unfounded and dangerous,” warning that they risk further endangering the estimated 20,000 Kenyans living and working in Tanzania as teachers, health workers, entrepreneurs, and other professionals.
The organisations have urged the Kenyan government to take stronger steps to protect its citizens abroad and to demand accountability for rights violations linked to Tanzania’s post-election violence.