Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi.
Maria Sarungi, a prominent journalist and vocal critic of the Tanzanian government and President Samia Suluhu, was released on Sunday evening, several hours after she was abducted in Kilimani, Nairobi.
Mr Sarungi's release was announced by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
In her official X account, LSK President Faith Odhiambo said: "Maria has been released and is safe for now. The unfortunate ordeal she has endured paints a worrying picture of the state of our country's human rights context. We will pursue answers from all relevant authorities on why this happened. We thank everyone for the concern and support in ensuring her release."
Reporting the incident via its official X account, Amnesty International-Kenya on Sunday said that the activist was abducted by three armed men driving a black vehicle.
“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,” reads the post.
Ms Sarungi has consistently been hitting out at President Suluhu’s administration, which she accuses of being dictatorial and defying the law.
Fleeing political persecution from her country, Ms Sarungi came to Kenya in 2020 and has been living in Nairobi since. She rose to fame through her online campaign on X using the hashtag “Change Tanzania”, a mantra that spread like wildfire and is now synonymous with demands for better from the Tanzania government.
Movement
This inspired her to start a movement dubbed Change Tanzania. The movement became a platform for Ms Sarungi to host conversations on change.
Holding the role of Director, Miss Universe Tanzania from 2007 to 2019 made Ms Sarungi a common figure in her country with her efforts to help young women achieve their dreams in the fashion industry being appreciated beyond the borders.
A communication expert with erudite skills in social and mass media, Ms Sarungi constantly uses her social media platforms to criticise Tanzania’s ruling administration.
She is among the most vocal critics of how the Tanzanian government handled the forced evictions of the Maasai community.
Six days before her abduction, she posted the photo of Tundu Lissu, a popular opposition figure in Tanzania on her Instagram account, saying Mr Lissu cannot be silenced by the current regime.
Politics of fraud
“You people ... You provoke him and when he replies you say he is stubborn, a picky person. As a lawyer, he cannot remain silent, he must defend himself. He is used to swearing in court to tell the truth (“I swear to tell the Truth, nothing but the Truth, so help me God” ) - so he will not reverse it. Since when is it that telling the truth without twisting it is falsehood? We don’t want the politics of fraud. Let him be quiet and don’t bully him because if you do, he will say everything,” she posted.
Moments after her abduction, Mr Lissu, who described Ms Sarungi as “one of Tanzania’s foremost and fearless critics of the Samia regime and dearest friend” made a post on X urging the Kenyan government to help trace her.
“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. And we must tell whoever is behind Maria’s abduction and disappearance that no amount of terror and violence or intimidation will silence us,” he said.
Ms Sarungi’s abduction is reminiscent of Uganda’s opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who was in November last year abducted in Nairobi and produced days later at a military court in Kampala.
The Kenyan government denied any involvement in Dr Besigye’s kidnapping and is yet to share details of how he was transported through the Kenyan borders to Uganda.
