Human rights groups Amnesty International Kenya, VOCAL Africa, and Defenders Coalition have condemned Tanzania’s post-election violence, calling for justice over the killing of Kenyan teacher John Okoth Ogutu and the release of Fredrick Lorent Obuya, who remains in detention. The groups warn against scapegoating Kenyans for unrest and urge Nairobi to protect its citizens as regional tension rises.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov. 8, 2025 — Human rights groups Amnesty International Kenya, VOCAL Africa, and the Defenders Coalition have condemned what they describe as “widespread human rights violations” and “a breakdown of the rule of law” in Tanzania following last month’s disputed general elections.
In a joint statement released on Friday, the organisations expressed outrage over the killing of John Okoth Ogutu, a Kenyan teacher at Sky Schools in Dar es Salaam, who was reportedly shot dead on October 29, and the arrest and incommunicado detention of Fredrick Lorent Obuya, another Kenyan national detained by Tanzanian security forces on October 31.
“These are not isolated incidents but emblematic of the escalating repression unleashed by Tanzanian authorities against the public, journalists, and human rights defenders,” the groups said.
The organisations accused Tanzanian authorities of violating both domestic and international human rights standards, citing the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the East African Community Treaty, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Tanzania is a state party.
They also raised concern over statements allegedly made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and other Tanzanian officials blaming foreign nationals, particularly Kenyans, for the post-election unrest. The groups warned that such rhetoric “presents serious risks to the safety of Kenyans and other foreign nationals.”
According to Amnesty and its partners, there are an estimated 20,000 Kenyans living and working in Tanzania, including teachers, health workers, entrepreneurs, and engineers. The organisations urged the Kenyan government to act swiftly to protect its citizens and demand accountability from Tanzanian authorities.
The statement further drew attention to the ongoing detention of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, two Kenyan activists allegedly held in Uganda for more than a month, linking their situation to a broader pattern of cross-border repression in East Africa.
The groups made a seven-point demand, including:
The repatriation of Mr. Ogutu’s body to Kenya and an independent postmortem conducted in the presence of family, lawyers, and human rights observers.
The immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Obuya or his prompt arraignment before a competent court.
An official apology and compensation to the victims’ families.
Action by Kenya, Tanzania, and regional bodies to safeguard foreign nationals from arbitrary arrests, deportations, and intimidation.
Failing these steps, the organisations vowed to push for legal action at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).
“Kenyans working in Tanzania must not be scapegoated by an administration that has violently suppressed civic space,” the statement read.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Tanzania in their struggle for human rights, freedom, and dignity.”
The joint statement was signed by Irungu Houghton (Amnesty International Kenya), Hussein Khalid (VOCAL Africa), and Kamau Ngugi (Defenders Coalition), and called on the African Union (AU), SADC, EAC, and the United Nations to intervene urgently.
