NAIROBI, Kenya, November 6, 2025- Human rights organisation Vocal Africa has appealed to Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urgently intervene in the cases of two Kenyan citizens allegedly caught up in the post-election violence in Tanzania.
In a letter dated November 5, 2025, and addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vocal Africa Chief Executive Officer Hussein Khalid expressed concern over the safety and well-being of the two — John Okoth Ogutu and Fredrick Obuya Lorent — who were affected by the unrest that followed the disputed elections in Tanzania.
According to the organisation, Mr. Ogutu, a teacher at Sky Schools in Dar es Salaam, was reportedly shot and killed on October 29, 2025, during the post-election chaos. His body was initially taken to Mwananyamala Hospital Morgue, but later went missing, raising alarm among relatives and colleagues.
“We have received alarming reports that when his colleagues and friends went to view the body, it was missing, and its current whereabouts remain unknown,” the letter stated.
The NGO said the situation has caused immense distress to the family, who are calling for the dignified return of their loved one’s remains for burial in Kenya.
In the second case, Mr. Lorent, aged 29, was arrested on October 31, 2025, while en route to Zanzibar for work-related travel. His last known location was Oyster Bay Police Station in Dar es Salaam, where he has allegedly been held without access to legal representation or communication with his family.
The organisation expressed concern over his safety, calling for immediate action to ensure due process and humane treatment.
Vocal Africa has urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage Tanzanian authorities to establish the whereabouts of Mr. Ogutu’s body and facilitate its release to the family. The group also called for intervention in Mr. Lorent’s case to ensure he is accorded a fair and expeditious trial in line with international human rights standards and East African Community Treaty obligations.
“Your timely intervention will not only safeguard the rights of these two Kenyan citizens but also demonstrate Kenya’s commitment to protecting its nationals abroad, especially in moments of crisis,” Khalid wrote.
The letter, which was copied to the Tanzanian High Commission in Nairobi, as well as family members of the two affected Kenyans, also referenced unresolved cases of other Kenyans previously caught in similar incidents, urging the Ministry to act with “urgency and seriousness” to ensure justice and accountability prevail.
