NAIROBI, Kenya — Renowned Tanzanian activist and media editor Maria Sarungi Tsehai has spoken out about her terrifying abduction in Nairobi’s Kilimani neighborhood on Sunday, January 12. Tsehai, a vocal advocate for human rights and democracy, detailed the ordeal during a press briefing following her release on Monday, January 13.
The incident began as Tsehai was heading to a hair salon at Chaka Place. While there, she noticed a masked woman enter abruptly, raising her suspicions. Upon leaving the salon, she waited for a taxi she had ordered, only for a black Toyota Noah van to block her ride.
“Two men got out of the van and started yelling at the driver,” Tsehai recounted. “I told him not to open the door, but they forced it open and began dragging me out.”
Tsehai described her fierce resistance, kicking and screaming for help, but the armed men overpowered her. One attempted to cover her face with a cloth as they handcuffed her and sped away. “They mentioned the word ‘bunduki’ (gun), confirming they were armed,” she said.
Inside the vehicle, the men confiscated her phone and repeatedly demanded the PIN to unlock it. Despite their aggression, she refused to comply. “They threw me around inside the van, and one of them kept trying to access my phone,” Tsehai added.
The abductors ignored her pleas to take her to a police station and made several stops along the way. Eventually, they released her, returning her bag but withholding her phones. “They left me on a dark, rough road,” Tsehai said. She walked to a nearby main road, sought help, and eventually contacted her husband using a laptop after reaching home.
Tsehai believes the abduction was a targeted attack on her activism and criticism of the Tanzanian government. “If this was meant to intimidate me, it will not work. I will not stop advocating for basic human rights,” she vowed.
City hopper matatu is trying to block the vehicle that abducted Tanzanian activist Maria Tsehai pic.twitter.com/1qV8xtzqRr
— Jʌĸowɩtɩ🇰🇪 (@Jakowiti_Atwech) January 14, 2025
Her husband blamed Tanzanian authorities under President Samia Suluhu Hassan for orchestrating the attack, calling it “the worst ordeal” of their lives. Online videos surfaced showing two suspected state agents visiting Tsehai’s office weeks earlier and a matatu driver attempting to block the abductors’ vehicle.
Tsehai expressed gratitude to activists and the public for their support, suggesting the pressure applied played a crucial role in her release.
Despite the traumatic experience, Tsehai remains undeterred in her fight for democracy and human rights in Tanzania. “This will not silence me. My work is legal, and I will continue to demand accountability and justice,” she said.
The incident has sparked international concern over the safety of activists in the region, raising questions about state involvement in suppressing dissenting voices.
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