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| Fredrick Lorent Obuya and John Gitahi Nderitu with Kenyan High Commissioner to Tanzania Isaac Njenga |
After weeks of diplomatic engagement and public outcry, four Kenyans detained across East Africa have finally regained their freedom.
Two Kenyans, Fredrick Lorent Obuya, a lawyer and tour operator, and John Gitahi Nderitu, a financial professional, were released in Tanzania on Saturday, November 8, after being arrested during post-election protests on October 29.
Their release came following sustained efforts by the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and the Kenya High Commission in Dar es Salaam.
In a statement, Kenya’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Isaac Njenga, confirmed that the duo had been freed without charges.
1/2 The High Commissioner, H.E. @Amb_IsaacNjenga, received two Kenyans who had been arrested in Tanzania following the protests of 29th October 2025 during the General Elections. pic.twitter.com/wDMSCbTXYc
— Kenya High Commission, Tanzania (@Kenyahc_tz) November 8, 2025
“Mr. Fredrick Lorent Obuya and Mr. John Gitahi Nderitu were released to the custody of the Kenya High Commission in Dar es Salaam. They thanked the Mission and looked forward to reuniting with their families,” Njenga said.
Obuya’s arrest had sparked online outrage and calls for intervention after reports emerged that he had been detained while traveling to Zanzibar for work and held at the Oyster Bay Police Station.
Human rights activists and Kenyans online decried his arrest, demanding answers from both governments.
The Tanzanian release came just hours after similar news from Uganda, where human rights activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who had gone missing in October during the campaigns of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) were also freed.
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| Human rights activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo |
According to Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei, the two were handed over to Kenya’s High Commissioner in Kampala, Joash Maangi, who facilitated their safe return through the Busia border on Friday night.
“After lengthy engagements, the two were released and are now on Kenyan soil,” PS Sing’Oei confirmed.
Njagi and Oyoo’s disappearance in early October had triggered concern among civil society groups, who accused Ugandan authorities of intimidation ahead of the polls.
The back-to-back releases have brought relief to families and renewed confidence in Kenya’s regional diplomacy, though questions remain over the circumstances leading to the arrests.
Tragically, one Kenyan, John Okoth Ogutu, a teacher in Tanzania reportedly lost his life on election day under unclear circumstances.
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