Rights groups demand repatriation of Kenyan teacher shot dead in Tanzania
Amnesty International Kenya, Vocal Africa and Defenders Coalition condemned the ongoing violence, human rights violations and breakdown of the rule of law in Tanzania following the recently concluded elections.
Human rights organisations have demanded the immediate repatriation of the body of Kenyan teacher John Okoth Ogutu, who was shot dead in Tanzania and the release of Fredrick Lorent Obuya, who remains detained incommunicado.
In a statement on Friday, Amnesty International Kenya, Vocal Africa and Defenders Coalition condemned the ongoing violence, human rights violations and breakdown of the rule of law in Tanzania following the recently concluded elections.
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Ogutu, a teacher at Sky Schools in Dar es Salaam, was shot dead on October 29, 2025, while his compatriot, Fredrick Lorent Obuya, was unlawfully arrested and detained by Tanzanian security forces on October 31. The organisations say Obuya is allegedly being held incommunicado at Oyster Bay Police Station in Dar es Salaam.
“These are not isolated incidents but rather emblematic of the escalating repression unleashed by Tanzanian authorities against the public, journalists and human rights defenders in the aftermath of the disputed elections,” reads the statement.
They noted that the police killing of Ogutu and the continued detention of Obuya represent serious breaches of Tanzanian constitutional law and violate multiple regional and international instruments to which Tanzania is a State Party.
"These instruments include the East African Community (EAC) Treaty, the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is important to note that there could be as many as 20,000 Kenyans who reside and work in Tanzania. Like John Ogutu and Fredrick Obuya, they are teachers and businesspeople. They are also health-workers, hoteliers, entrepreneurs, traders, bankers, and engineers, among other professional occupations," they said.
The groups also expressed concern over statements by President Samia Suluhu and other state officials accusing foreign nationals, particularly Kenyans, of fuelling the violence that has claimed hundreds of lives.
“These claims are unfounded and present serious risks to the safety of Kenyans and other foreign nationals,” they said.
The groups emphasised that the Government of Kenya bears an unequivocal duty to protect its citizens abroad and to demand accountability where their rights are violated.
They also referenced the ongoing abduction of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo in Uganda, now in its 38th day, and reiterated calls for their immediate release and return to their families.
While welcoming the recent bilateral engagements between the Tanzanian and Kenyan foreign ministers, the three organisations called for the immediate repatriation of Ogutu’s body to Kenya and for the two countries to fully facilitate the process.
They also urged that an independent and transparent postmortem be conducted to determine the precise cause of death, in the presence of his family, their lawyers, pathologists and human rights observers.
The groups further demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Obuya, insisting that if charges exist, he should be promptly presented before a competent court of law and granted access to his family, consular officials, and an advocate of his choice. They also pressed the Tanzanian government to issue a formal apology and provide full reparation to the families of both victims.
Additionally, the organisations called for a comprehensive assessment of the safety of Kenyans living and working in Tanzania, alongside proactive measures to protect all foreign nationals from arbitrary detention, deportation, cancellation of visas or work permits, as well as cyber or physical surveillance.
The groups warned that if these demands are not met, they will pursue legal action through regional and international mechanisms.
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"Failing these actions, we will press for a case to be filed by bar associations and human rights organisations within the region before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) to seek justice for the victims and accountability of the perpetrators," the rights group said.
"Under international law, Tanzanians have the right to call for accountability for pre-election state-led repression and unlawful killings and other human rights violations committed in the context of the elections. Kenyans working in Tanzania must not be scapegoated by an administration that has violently suppressed civic space."
Adding, “We stand in solidarity with the people of Tanzania in their struggle for human rights, freedom, and dignity. We call upon the Government of Kenya, the AU, SADC, the EAC, and the UN to act decisively and protect Tanzanians, Kenyans in Tanzania, and other foreign nationals.”
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