A Kenyan lawyer and entrepreneur, Fredrick Lorent Obuya, has gone missing in Tanzania after allegedly being arrested by police on October 31, 2025. His disappearance comes amid escalating post-election violence that has left hundreds dead and scores missing.
Human rights groups now fear Obuya may have been caught in the violent crackdown by Tanzanian authorities following the disputed October 29 election. His family and friends are desperately searching for answers as diplomatic pressure mounts on both Nairobi and Dodoma.
Lawyer Fredrick Obuya, 29, was reportedly arrested in Dar es Salaam while on a business trip to Zanzibar. According to human rights activist and VOCAL Africa CEO Hussein Khalid, Obuya was last seen at the Oyster Bay Police Station before all contact with him was lost.
“VOCAL Africa has received the case of a Kenyan, Fredrick Lorent Obuya, who was arrested in Dar es Salaam on October 31,” Khalid stated. “Fredrick is a lawyer and runs a tour company. His friends say he was on his way to Zanzibar on official work when police detained him.”
The Tanzanian police have not issued any public statement on the arrest, leaving family members in anguish and rights activists demanding immediate action from both governments.
Obuya’s relatives say his phone went off shortly after he informed a colleague he had been stopped by plain-clothes officers. Since then, efforts to trace his whereabouts through police stations and embassies have hit a dead end.
Kenya Demands Answers on Missing Lawyer
Obuya’s case has drawn concern from Kenyan authorities and civil society. Calls are growing for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene and demand his release or at least confirmation of his location.
Kenyan Lawyer Fredrick Obuya Disappears in Tanzania After Arrest During Political Chaos
