Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai kidnapped in Kenya and found hours later

Prominent Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai, who was kidnapped by gunmen in Kenya, said she was freed hours after the incident.

Amnesty International Kenya spokesperson Roland Ebole told the BBC she was “forced” into a vehicle in the capital Nairobi on Sunday afternoon.

But Tsehai was released hours later. She shared a video with her 1.3 million followers on

Tsehai is a staunch critic of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and has accused her government of bringing “tyranny back” to the country.

Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo said in X that they had managed to arrange his release.

“We send a warning. We will not allow our country to be used as a haven to kidnap individuals,” he said at an afternoon press conference.

Neither Kenyan nor Tanzanian officials have commented.

Ms Tsehai is a strong advocate for land rights and freedom of expression in Tanzania.

There have been concerns that Tanzania may be returning to the repressive rule of late President Magufuli, even though his successor Samia lifted a ban on opposition gatherings and promised to restore competitive politics.

Last year, dozens of opponents were arrested and some were brutally murdered. A senior opposition leader died after being doused with acid.

Human Rights Watch called the increase in arrests of opposition activists a “bad sign” ahead of the 2025 presidential election, which will take place in October.

Change Tanzania, a movement founded by Tsehai, said in a statement on

He added that her “courage in standing up for justice has made her a target.”

In recent months, she had expressed concern for her safety and reported an incident in which two unidentified men were seen searching for her at her home while she was away.

Kenya has a history of allowing foreign governments to abduct its citizens and carry out forced extraditions, in violation of international law.

Last year, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was kidnapped in Nairobi by Ugandan security officials and taken across the border to be court-martialed.

The Ugandan government said Kenya helped them in the operation, but the Kenyan government denied this.

Ebole told the BBC that “it could be another repeat” of the Besigye situation.

Internally, Kenya has been hit by a wave of disappearances, following last year’s youth-led protests against a series of planned tax increases.

A state-funded human rights group claims more than 80 people have been kidnapped in the past six months.

Some have been freed in recent weeks, and there are growing calls for all those who have been kidnapped to be released.