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

Maria Sarungi Tsehai, who was kidnapped in Tanzania, said she was released hours after the incident.

Amnesty International Kenya spokesman Roland Ebole told the BBC that he was “forced” into a car in Nairobi on Sunday afternoon.

But Mrs. Tsehai was released after a few hours. She shared the video to her 1.3 million followers on X, looking shaken and emotional, but said: “I’m saved.”

Ms. Tsehai is a strong critic of Tanzania’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, and has criticized her government for bringing “tyranny” to the country.

The president of the Law Society of Kenya, Faith Odhiambo, said on X they managed to arrange for his release.

“We are sending a warning. We will not allow our country to be used as a place to transport people,” he said at a press conference in the evening.

Neither Kenyan nor Tanzanian officials have commented.

Ms. Tsehai is an activist for human rights and freedom of speech in Tanzania.

There have been concerns that Tanzania could return to the authoritarian rule of late President Magufuli, although his successor Samia lifted the ban on opposition rallies and promised to restore competitive politics.

Last year, many protesters were arrested and some were brutally killed. Another senior opposition leader died after being attacked with acid.

Human Rights Watch said the increase in arrests of opposition activists is a “bad sign” ahead of the 2025 elections, which will be held in October.

Change Tanzania, a group founded by Ms Tsehai, said in a statement on X that it believed it had been taken by Tanzanian security forces “working beyond Tanzanian borders to suppress legitimate opposition to the government.”

It added that “his bravery in standing up for justice has made him a target”.

In recent months, she has expressed concern for her safety, describing an incident where two unknown men were seen looking for her at her home when she left.

Kenya has a history of allowing foreign governments to abduct its citizens and forcibly deport them, in violation of international law.

Last year, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was abducted from Nairobi by Ugandan security officials and brought across the border to be tried by a military court.

The Ugandan government said Kenya had helped them in the project – but the Kenyan government has denied this.

Mr Ebole told the BBC he “could repeat” what Mr Besigye had experienced.

Internally, Kenya has been hit by unemployment, following youth-led protests last year against rising taxes.

The state-backed human rights watchdog says more than 80 people have been arrested in the past six months.

A few have been released in recent weeks, and there is a growing demand for the release of all those abducted.