The IPI global network strongly condemns the abduction of Tanzanian journalist, commentator, and activist Maria Tsehai by unknown perpetrators in Kenya where she fled seeking safe haven after facing threats from the Tanzanian authorities. On January 12, Tsehai was abducted in Nairobi by unidentified, masked individuals who shoved her into a black van while she was exiting a saloon. Tsehai was released several hours later. Following her release, she reported that she had been assaulted and choked and that her abductors demanded access to her mobile phone. 

Tsehai’s work as a journalist and human rights activist includes advocating for freedom of expression and land rights. 

“IPI is deeply troubled by the abduction of journalist Maria Tsehai while in Kenya, where she was living in safe haven from threats she faced while in her home country Tanzania”, Nompilo Simanje, IPI’s Africa Advocacy and Engagement Lead, said. “Kenya has been a known hub for journalists seeking exile in the region, including those fleeing the ongoing conflict in Sudan. It is therefore another worrying sign that journalists from foreign countries may not be safe in Kenya”, she added.

In October 2022, another foreign journalist,  prominent Pakistan investigative journalist Arshad Sharif, was shot dead by the police in Kenya in a case of alleged mistaken identity nearly two months after he had fled from Pakistan. Sharif had indicated that his forced relocation was a result of state harassment and also because he feared for his life. In July 2024, a Kenyan court ruled that Sharif’s killing was arbitrary, illegal, disproportionate, and unconstitutional and ordered payment of compensation to his family and also that action should be taken against the police officers who were involved in this incident. 

In December 2024, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights expressed its concern over reports of abductions and forced disappearances. The Commission reminded Kenya of its obligations under Articles 4 and 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to ensure that its agencies do not engage in abductions and the resultant disappearances and to protect every individual in its jurisdiction from being subjected to such abductions and disappearances by either state or non-state actors.

IPI echoes the position of the African Commission and calls for the guarantee of safety for all journalists in Kenya’s jurisdiction both local and foreign and respect for the rule of law and due process.