Maria Sarungi Tsehai, a prominent Tanzanian activist kidnapped by armed men in Kenya, said she had been released hours after the incident.

Amnesty International Kenya spokesperson Roland Ebolle told the BBC she was “forced” to get into a car in the capital Nairobi on Sunday afternoon.

But a few hours later, Ms. Xie Hai was released. She shared a video to her 1.3 million followers on X, looking visibly shocked and emotional but saying: “I’ve been saved.”

Ms Tsehai is a staunch critic of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and accuses her government of bringing “tyranny back” to the country.

Faith Odhiambo, president of the Kenya Bar Association, said on the 1st that they had managed to arrange for her release.

“We are issuing a warning. We will not allow our country to be used as a safe haven for arrests,” she told an evening news conference.

Kenyan and Tanzanian officials declined to comment.

Ms. Shehai is a passionate advocate for land rights and freedom of expression in Tanzania.

There are fears Tanzania could return to the repressive rule of late President Magufuli, although his successor Samia has lifted a ban on opposition rallies and pledged to return to competitive politics.

Last year, dozens of rebels were arrested and some were brutally killed. A senior opposition leader has died after being attacked with acid.

Human Rights Watch said the increase in arrests of opposition activists was a “bad sign” ahead of the 2025 presidential election in October.

The Change Tanzania Movement, founded by Ms Tsehai, said in a statement from

It added that her “courage in standing up for what is right made her a target”.

In recent months, she has expressed concerns for her safety, reporting an incident in which two unidentified men searched for her at her home while she was out.

Kenya has a history of allowing foreign governments to abduct its citizens and impose forced renditions, in violation of international law.

Last year, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was kidnapped by Ugandan security officials in Nairobi and taken across the border to face a military court.

The Ugandan government says Kenya helped them in the operation, but the Kenyan government denies this.

Mr Ebolle told the BBC Mr Besigye’s situation “could happen again”.

At home, Kenya has been hit by a wave of disappearances following youth-led protests last year against a series of planned tax hikes.

A state-sponsored human rights group said more than 80 people had been kidnapped in the past six months.

In recent weeks, some people have been released, and calls have grown for the release of all abductees.