A Tanzanian human rights activist, Mshabaha Mshabaha Hamza, was abducted in Kenya but rescued before he could be forcibly taken across the border, according to Amnesty International.
In a statement released Monday, Amnesty said Hamza — a vocal critic of Tanzania’s alleged election violence — was seized on Sunday by three men and bundled into a vehicle in Nairobi.
The activist, who has lived in exile in Kenya for about four years, reportedly resisted his attackers before being dumped “drugged and injured” in Lukenya, Machakos County.
Kenyan police responded swiftly and intercepted the suspected kidnappers’ vehicle.
Amnesty said the three suspects — two Kenyans and one Tanzanian — had allegedly been promised payment to deliver Hamza to the Kenya-Tanzania border.
Amnesty Flags “Premeditated Abduction”
Amnesty described the incident as a “violent, premeditated abduction and forceful rendition to Tanzania,” warning of a growing trend of cross-border repression in East Africa.
Hamza has been outspoken about the violent crackdown that followed Tanzania’s October elections.
Opposition figures and rights groups estimate that about 2,000 people were killed during security operations carried out under an internet blackout. The Tanzanian government has yet to publish a promised investigative report.
Mwanasi Ahmed, coordinator of the Pan-African Solidarity Network, said Hamza’s work documenting human rights abuses poses a significant threat to authorities in Tanzania.
Rising Cases of Cross-Border Repression
Amnesty has repeatedly raised concerns that Kenya is increasingly being used as a base for transnational repression.
In November 2024, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was abducted in Kenya and transferred to Uganda, where he faces treason charges. In January 2025, Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai was also kidnapped in Nairobi but later released after widespread media attention and advocacy pressure.
Rights groups say the latest abduction attempt underscores urgent concerns about the safety of exiled activists and the need for stronger safeguards against unlawful extradition in the region.
