Law Society of Kenya na Amnesty International Kenya wametoa taarifa kuhusu kuokolewa kwa mwanaharakati wa Tanzania, Mshabaha Mshabaha Hamza, aliyedaiwa kutekwa nchini Kenya.
Kwa mujibu wa taarifa hiyo, Hamza aliokolewa Februari 22, 2026 baada ya polisi kuingilia kati. Watu watatu walikamatwa wakihusishwa na tukio hilo. Inadaiwa kuwa kulikuwa na mpango wa kumrudisha Tanzania kwa lazima.
Mashirika hayo yamepongeza hatua za polisi wa Kenya kwa kumlinda na kuzuia tukio hilo. Pia yameomba uchunguzi wa wazi ufanyike na wote waliohusika wachukuliwe hatua.
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The Law Society of Kenya and Amnesty International Kenya commend the swift, coordinated action taken yesterday, Sunday 22 February, by officers from the Lukenya and Kyumbi Police Posts, DCI Kyumbi, and other national and county security and government agencies. The action led to the rescue of Tanzanian human rights defender Mshabaha Mshabaha Hamza and the arrest of three suspects involved in what appears to have been a violent, premeditated abduction and forceful rendition to Tanzania.
According to documents before the court, officers responded promptly after Mr. Mshabaha resisted his attackers and was dumped at the Lukenya stage, drugged and injured. Police officers intercepted their vehicle and arrested three occupants: Edward Mwangi Mwai, a Kenyan residing in South Africa; Nelson Wanjohi Kirika, the driver; and Aziz Hamad, a Tanzanian national.
Mshabaha Mshabaha Hamza is a well-known Tanzanian human rights defender. He has been active in regional advocacy on democracy, accountability, and justice, particularly following the 2025 post-election violence in Tanzania. He is a member of the Pan‑African Solidarity Network, a collective committed to resisting authoritarianism across Africa.
Amnesty International Kenya and the Law Society of Kenya welcome the decisive intervention by the Kenyan authorities to protect his life and prevent his forced rendition to Tanzania. The action reflects Kenya’s constitutional and international obligations to safeguard all individuals, especially human rights defenders, who face heightened risks.
We now call for:
- A full, transparent, and impartial investigation into the identities, motives, and networks that were waiting for his delivery to the Kenya-Tanzania border
- Accountability not only for the suspects arrested and the immediate arrest of any individuals, whether in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, or elsewhere, who may have planned, financed, or directed the attack.
- Closer collaboration between human rights organisations and Kenyan authorities to protect human rights defenders, especially those in exile or in cross-border contexts.
Attempts to abduct, harm, or silence activists violate fundamental freedoms across the East African region. Kenya must ensure that its territory is never used for transnational repression, rendition, or attacks on those exercising their right to defend human rights.
Amnesty International Kenya and the Law Society of Kenya will continue monitoring the case and supporting efforts to secure justice for Mshabaha and safety for all human rights defenders working in Kenya and the region.