Kenyan teachers, students and activists caught up in worsening tensions in Tanzania are appealing for urgent government intervention, as families and rights groups raise alarm over Kenyans stranded, detained or unaccounted for across the border.
Reports have emerged indicating that several Kenyans are stranded in Tanzania following the post-election unrest, with human rights monitors confirming that one Kenyan has been killed, another arrested, and several others injured.
The victims are said to be caught in a widening crackdown targeting foreigners, amid growing fears that Kenyans living and working in Tanzania are now at heightened risk.
Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers(KUPPET) says nearly 150 Kenyan teacher-graduate students pursuing master’s programmes in Tanzania are trapped in unsafe conditions, while families mourn loved ones and human rights groups push for the release of detained activists.
“Nearly 150 Kenyan teacher-graduate students pursuing master’s programmes are currently stranded in Tanzania, with extremely limited access to communication. This situation is deeply unfortunate. While a few Kenyan teachers have reportedly lost their lives, many others have received death threats over alleged involvement in protests, and some have had their post-graduate studies disrupted by the crisis,” said KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori.
Kuppet National Governing Council led by Secretary General Akelo Misori address Journalist at Sportsview Hotel on September 1, 2024.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation
The union urged the Cabinet Secretaries for Education and Foreign Affairs to intervene in the crisis to save the teachers’ lives and education, and in the preservation and repatriation of the bodies of Kenyans who have perished in the clashes.
This came after widespread reports that Kenyans in the neighbouring country were living in fear, amid a tense environment and threats of victimisation on suspicion of taking part in the mass protests that accompanied polling on October 29 and its aftermath.
“We must have freedom to stay in the East African region without fear. This kind of anxiety must also be resolved. We are asking the government to expedite the return of these Kenyans until the situation in Tanzania becomes bearable for our Kenyan colleagues to stay in,” said Mr Misori.
Ogutu, a teacher at Sky Schools in Dar es Salaam since 2019, is said to have been coaching a student before stepping out to buy supper, where he was fatally attacked.
“From school, he had gone to teach a particular student. After that, he went out to look for supper, and that is how he met his death. We buried our father five months ago and now we are grieving again. We are tortured emotionally and psychologically. We gave you a teacher, but in return, we have been left empty-handed without even his body,” said Celestine, his sister.
Despite searching three morgues, the family has been unable to find his remains.
Human rights groups also raised concern over the arrest and incommunicado detention of Fredrick Lorent Obuya, a Kenyan national reportedly seized by Tanzanian security forces on October 31. He is believed to be held at Oyster Bay Police Station in Dar es Salaam.
“These are not isolated incidents but emblematic of escalating repression unleashed after the disputed elections,” said Kamau Ngugi of Defenders Coalition.
Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton warned that the situation placed thousands of Kenyans at risk.
“It is important to note that there could be as many as 20,000 Kenyans who reside and work in Tanzania. The Government of Kenya has a duty to protect its citizens abroad and to demand accountability where their rights are violated,” he said.
The lobby groups demanded that both the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments immediately repatriate the body of John Okoth Ogutu, the Kenyan teacher killed during election-related violence in Tanzania.
They called for full facilitation in returning his remains and an independent, transparent postmortem to establish the exact cause of death, conducted in the presence of the family, their lawyers, pathologists and human rights observers.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Fredrick Lorent Obuya, and where charges exist, his prompt presentation before a competent court of law, access to his family, consular services, and an advocate of his choice. We also seek a formal apology and full reparation by the Government of Tanzania to the families of both victims,” said Vocal Africa CEO Mr Hussein.
Hussein Khalid, CEO of Vocal Afric,a during an interview with Mtaa Wangu on February 6, 2025.
Photo credit: NMG
The groups also urged a comprehensive assessment of the safety of Kenyans living and working in Tanzania, citing risks such as arbitrary detention, deportation, revocation of visas and work permits, as well as physical and cyber surveillance.
They further criticised the Kenyan government’s response to the crisis, with Mr Hussein questioning President William Ruto’s decision to congratulate Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan while unrest persisted and before election observers had issued their reports.
The organisations expressed deep concern over recent remarks by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and other state officials, who claimed that foreign nationals were responsible for the election violence that has claimed hundreds of lives.
“These accusations are unfounded and dangerous,” the groups warned. “They pose a serious threat to Kenyans and other foreign nationals residing in Tanzania.”
Mr Mudavadi and Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo in the Thursday talks discussed the treatment of Kenyans and fears for their safety.
“During the engagement, we emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety and security of all foreign nationals, including members of the Kenyan diaspora community, who continue to contribute to Tanzania's economic development through legitimate business activities and professional services,” Mr Mudavadi said in a statement to the media.
