One of the Kenyans released from Tanzania yesterday has revealed a nightmare few can imagine. Frederick Obuya, a lawyer and tour company owner, was arrested on October 29 while traveling to Zanzibar.
What was meant to be a business expansion and birthday celebration turned into ten days of fear, squalid conditions, and despair. Obuya said he and fellow detainee John Nderitu feared for their lives and at times wished for death, describing the conditions and treatment as unbearable.
Kenyans Arrested in Tanzania Face Brutal Detention Conditions
Obuya said the ordeal began with confusion and false promises. Initially expecting a quick arraignment, he was told by a police officer that their case was complicated and could take at least two weeks to resolve.
“Your case is hard and it is being dealt with by the bosses, but you might be released in two weeks,” the officer told him.
The realization hit hard. For the first time, Obuya cried, overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty. What followed only deepened the horror. They were moved to Oyster Bay Police Station after two nights in a hotel.
Life in a bedbug-infested cell
Obuya described the worst night of his life as the one spent in a police cell. He was held alongside minors as young as 13. The toilet was stinking with no running water, and the floors were sticky. Bedbugs covered the beds, and the overcrowding made the situation unbearable.
“I would not have lasted another night,” Obuya said, grimly recalling the hopelessness that settled over him and Nderitu.
Fear of returning and constant uncertainty
Each day in custody brought new fears. After ten nights in detention, they were expected to go to the immigration office. Social media pressure had intensified their case, and they feared being returned to the cells.
Obuya told Nderitu that he would rather be killed than go back. “When we go to immigration the following day, it’s either we go home, sleep there, or they just kill us if they want,” he said.
Diplomatic intervention secures release
Thankfully, the situation shifted after meeting the Kenyan High Commissioner. The detainees were transferred to a hotel in a diplomatic vehicle and later flown back to Kenya on November 8.
Although Tanzania extended their stay for another seven days, neither wanted to remain. Fear of rearrest and the trauma of the detention left them unwilling to risk staying.
The arrests were part of a wider sweep following Tanzania’s general elections, where President Samia Suluhu secured over 97 per cent of the vote, sparking protests and hundreds of arrests.
