Kenya’s government has urged Tanzania to ensure the safety of its citizens caught up in the ongoing unrest following last week’s disputed presidential election.
Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi said the ministry had received reports from Kenyans in Tanzania alleging they were being targeted during a violent crackdown on post-election protests. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with 98 percent of the vote, a result that has triggered widespread demonstrations and accusations of electoral fraud.
During her inauguration speech, President Hassan condemned the protests, accusing “foreign elements” of inciting violence in the country.
Mudavadi confirmed that Nairobi had lodged “formal reports” with Tanzanian authorities over alleged violations of its citizens’ rights and called for “appropriate action” to be taken. Following a phone conversation with Tanzanian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, he said both countries had agreed to handle the matter through established diplomatic and consular channels.
He further reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to protecting “the rights, safety, and dignity” of its citizens living abroad.
According to Mudavadi, approximately 250,000 Kenyans reside, work, or conduct business in Tanzania.
The Tanzanian government is facing increasing international scrutiny amid claims of excessive force by security agencies. Rights groups and opposition figures allege that hundreds have been killed in the post-election violence, a claim officials in Dodoma have dismissed as “greatly exaggerated.”
A Tanzanian police spokesperson earlier alleged that some foreigners had entered the country illegally “with the intention to commit crimes, including causing unrest.”
Meanwhile, several families in Kenya say they have lost contact with relatives in Tanzania. Others report that their loved ones have been killed, injured, or detained allegedly by Tanzanian security forces.
