- Kenyan nationals arrested in Tanzania recounted how they were arrested during and after the chaotic polls
- In an interview, they described the reaction of the Tanzanian police officers upon noticing their nationality and what happened inside the cells
- They also shed light on the condition of the cells before they were released without charges after eight days
Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features in digital and print media.
Two Kenyan nationals have shared disturbing accounts of their arrest and detention in Tanzania during the disputed general election held on October 29.
Source: Facebook
The men, who were in the country for personal reasons, said they were caught in a wave of political unrest that saw foreigners targeted and held incommunicado under harsh conditions.
One of the victims, who had been residing in Dar es Salaam, recounted the events that led to his arrest.
He described the atmosphere as tense and chaotic, with the Tanzanian government shutting down the internet and interfering with mobile signals.
Tear gas could be heard in the streets, and communication with family members in Kenya became impossible.
How was a Kenyan man arrested in Tanzania?
On October 31, sensing a lull in gunfire, the man decided to leave his house and attempt to return to Kenya.
He managed to reach the airport and booked a flight with the support of his family. However, the journey was far from straightforward.
Most petrol stations had been shut down, with only one, reportedly operated by the army, still functioning.
Ride-hailing services like Bolt were unavailable due to the internet blackout, leaving Bajaj and motorcycle taxis as the only transport options. Even these were risky, as drivers were reportedly being targeted.
While navigating through military checkpoints, the man encountered plainclothes officers who demanded his passport and searched his luggage.
Although they returned his phone, they held onto his passport and ordered him to stand aside. He managed to send a message to his family, informing them of a brief stop by the army.
But about an hour later, a police vehicle arrived, and the situation escalated rapidly. An officer cocked his gun, forced him into the car, and blindfolded him.
What happens inside Tanzania police cells?
At the police station, he was subjected to beatings along with other detainees.
“You lie flat and they beat everyone. We didn’t even understand why,” he said.
The group was then transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where officers appeared ‘intrigued by the presence of a Kenyan national.’
Source: Twitter
The detainees were asked to record statements, and the man was moved from one officer to another before being led to a basement cell.
Inside the cell, he found himself among 76 detainees crammed into a 16-square-metre space.
Temperatures in Dar es Salaam soared to 36 degrees celsius at night, making conditions unbearable.
The detainees were fed minimal portions, just enough to fill the palm of a hand, and only once every 24 hours.
“We only ate food left in the mess, and it was very little, just enough to feed the palm of your hand, and then you wait for 24 hours,” he said.
Many of those held had visible injuries, including gunshot wounds sustained during the October 29 protests.
According to him, some still had bullets lodged in their bodies and were only treated days later, on November 4.
“It was devastating to see,” he said, adding that the crackdown appeared to target all foreigners except Tanzanians.
What is the condition of Tanzanian cells?
Another Kenyan, Fredrick Obuya, was also arrested while travelling to Zanzibar. He was celebrating his birthday on the day of the election when he was apprehended.
He described the conditions in the cell as deplorable, crowded, unsanitary, and infested with bedbugs.
“There was no water, the toilets were stinking, and the floors were sticky. That’s where you were supposed to sleep,” he said.
At one point, he told his companion that they would either sleep at the immigration office or risk dying in custody.
Obuya said he tried to question one of the officers about their detention, only to be told, ‘Your matter is complicated and is under the control of the authorities.’
After eight days in custody, both men were released without charges and handed over to the Kenyan High Commission in Tanzania.
They have since returned to Kenya, but their accounts have raised serious concerns about the treatment of foreign nationals during politically volatile periods in Tanzania.
How many Kenyans were killed in Tanzania?
Meanwhile, the body of a second Kenyan was found at a small health facility near the border following his murder in Tanzania.
The man, Albert Kamala, had been missing for days. Reportedly, he was arrested on election day in Moshi, near the Mount Kilimanjaro region, and was taken by police in unmarked vehicles.
His discovery came amid rising tensions surrounding the killing of teacher John Okoth during the elections.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
