Three human rights organizations — VOCAL Africa, Defenders Coalition, and Amnesty International Kenya — have expressed concern over reports of violence and alleged human rights violations in Tanzania following the country’s recently concluded elections.
In a joint statement released on Friday, the groups cited the killing of a Kenyan teacher, Mr. John Okoth Ogutu, and the detention of another Kenyan national, Mr. Fredrick Lorent Obuya, as examples of what they described as “escalating repression” by Tanzanian authorities in the aftermath of the disputed polls.
“We are appalled by the tragic killing of Mr. John Okoth Ogutu, a Kenyan teacher at Sky Schools in Dar es Salaam, who was shot dead on 29th October 2025, and the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Fredrick Lorent Obuya, a Kenyan national who was taken into custody by Tanzanian security forces on October 31, 2025, and remains held incommunicado at Oyster Bay Police Station in Dar es Salaam,” the statement read.
According to the statement, Ogutu, who worked at Sky Schools in Dar es Salaam, was reportedly shot dead on October 29, while Obuya was allegedly arrested by Tanzanian security forces two days later and remains in custody at Oyster Bay Police Station without communication with his family or access to legal assistance.
The groups noted that the incidents come amid growing tension and reports of violence that have followed Tanzania’s disputed election results. They expressed concern over comments attributed to President Samia Suluhu Hassan and other government officials suggesting that foreign nationals, particularly Kenyans, were responsible for the unrest. The organizations warned that such claims could put Kenyans and other expatriates at risk.
The statement further pointed out that the alleged actions contravene both Tanzanian constitutional provisions and international treaties to which the country is a signatory, including the East African Community (EAC) Treaty, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
There are an estimated 20,000 Kenyans working and residing in Tanzania across various sectors, including education, business, health, and hospitality. The groups urged the Government of Kenya to take active measures to protect its citizens abroad and pursue accountability where violations occur.
They also referenced the separate case of two Kenyans, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, reportedly detained in Uganda for over a month without due process, as part of a broader call for regional governments to uphold human rights and the rule of law.
Their demands include an independent postmortem examination of Ogutu’s death, repatriation of his remains to Kenya, the immediate release of Obuya, reparations for the victims’ families, and stronger protection measures for foreign nationals in Tanzania.
