One of the Kenyans who was released from Tanzania yesterday, after being detained on election day, October 29, has shared the terrifying experience he endured while in Tanzanian police custody.
Frederick Obuya, a lawyer and tour company owner, spoke to the media on Sunday about the ordeal. He revealed that he was traveling to Zanzibar to explore potential business expansions for his company while also planning to celebrate his birthday when he was suddenly arrested.
Obuya explained that after spending a few nights in custody, he approached a police officer to ask when he and fellow Kenyan detainee John Nderitu could expect to be released.
Both men had all the necessary legal documents proving they were legally in Tanzania. However, the officer’s response shocked him.
“They told me my case was complicated and being handled by their bosses, and that release might only happen in two weeks,” Obuya recounted. “I had been expecting to be arraigned in just two days, on Monday, so hearing this was a huge shock.”
It was that Saturday night, November 1, that Obuya admitted he broke down and cried for the first time since being detained. The situation worsened when they were transferred to Oyster Bay Police Station after spending two nights in a hotel.
Out of the ten days they were in custody, only one night was spent in a police cell – a night that Obuya described as the moment he lost all hope. He endured being held alongside minors as young as 13, in filthy conditions with toilets that had no running water and floors sticky with dirt.
The cells were infested with bedbugs, making it unbearable to imagine spending another night there.
Faced with such harsh conditions, Obuya revealed that he had a grim conversation with Nderitu. “I told John that when we go to the immigration office the next day, it will be one of three things: either we finally go home that Friday, or we sleep at immigration, or they might just kill us,” he said.
Thankfully, their fears did not come true. After meeting with the Kenyan High Commissioner in Tanzania, the two men were driven in a diplomatic vehicle to a hotel for the night.
The following day, they were taken to the airport and finally arrived back home in Kenya on Saturday, November 8.
Although Tanzanian authorities had extended their stay for seven more days, both men were adamant about leaving immediately, fearing the possibility of being re-arrested.
Obuya and Nderitu were part of a larger group of hundreds of Kenyans detained following the Tanzanian General Elections.
The elections, which saw President Samia Suluhu win with over 97 percent of the vote, had sparked nationwide protests and a tense political atmosphere.
The harrowing experience highlighted the fear, uncertainty, and inhumane conditions detainees faced, leaving both men and their families shaken by the ordeal.
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