Tanzanian media editor and activist Maria Tsehai Sarungi was released on Sunday January 12, 2025 in the evening following an abduction incident that occurred in Nairobi’s Kilimani area.

The activist was released following an uproar by human rights groups and defenders, including the Law Society of Kenya and Amnesty International Kenya.

”Thank you very much, dear Kenyans and Tanzanians. I am safe and God is good. I will say thank you properly tomorrow,”  Tsehai stated in a video.

Reports indicate that Tsehai was picked up by three hooded men on Sunday afternoon at Chaka Place, Kilimani, where she had gone for a hair clinic.

The three men who had a Toyota Noah car are reported to have blocked her car before ejecting her. 

They then bundled her into their nearby waiting car and sped off.

Soon after, information about her arrest circulated on social media, attracting the attention of human rights groups and the international community.

UN Resident Coordinator to Kenya, Stephen Jackson, expressed concerns on Sunday over the abduction of Tsehai, describing the incident as deeply troubling.

A similar incident happened in Nairobi nearly a month ago, when Ugandan opposition politician Kizza Besigye was abducted in Nairobi, before he was transferred to Uganda.

Tsehai, a Tanzanian activist has been living with her family in Nairobi following a political asylum she sought in Kenya after escaping alleged persecution by the then-President John Pombe Magufuli.

Confirmed reports reveal that Tsehai is a major critic of the Tanzanian government, highlighting corruption and human rights abuses in the country.

She is a vocal critic of current Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu and often publishes critical articles on her blog and social media accounts.