The safety of Kenyans caught up in post-election violence in neighbouring Tanzania must be guaranteed, Kenya's foreign minister has told his Tanzanian counterpart. Kenyan citizens are living in fear in Tanzania after being reportedly targeted in a brutal crackdown on the protests that followed last week's disputed election. President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the poll with 98% of the vote - and in her inauguration speech condemned the violence and blamed foreigners for stoking the unrest.
Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi said the rights of some Kenyans had been violated and that 'formal reports' had been submitted to the Tanzanian authorities 'for appropriate action'.
During a phone conversation, Mudavadi said he had told Tanzanian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo that concerns would be 'addressed through the established diplomatic and consular channels'. But he had reaffirmed 'the importance of safeguarding the rights, safety, and dignity' of Kenyans living in Tanzania.
In May, Mudavadi had said that about 250,000 Kenyans lived, worked or did business in Tanzania. The Tanzanian government has come under intense international scrutiny for allegedly using excessive force to quell post-election protests, which reportedly left hundreds dead. Reports indicate that the violence has led to further distress among Kenyan nationals.
Several families in Kenya have expressed concern for the safety of their relatives in Tanzania, following reports that some Kenyans have been killed, injured, or detained, while others are nursing injuries allegedly inflicted by Tanzanian security officers. Rights groups have expressed alarm over the treatment of Kenyans, with activists urging immediate action to protect them from being used as scapegoats amid escalating tensions.
Kenya's foreign affairs ministry has now asked relatives of Kenyans who may be in distress in Tanzania to share their names, addresses and emergency contacts, acknowledging the public's growing concerns about tracing those possibly affected by the unrest in Tanzania.
Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi said the rights of some Kenyans had been violated and that 'formal reports' had been submitted to the Tanzanian authorities 'for appropriate action'.
During a phone conversation, Mudavadi said he had told Tanzanian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo that concerns would be 'addressed through the established diplomatic and consular channels'. But he had reaffirmed 'the importance of safeguarding the rights, safety, and dignity' of Kenyans living in Tanzania.
In May, Mudavadi had said that about 250,000 Kenyans lived, worked or did business in Tanzania. The Tanzanian government has come under intense international scrutiny for allegedly using excessive force to quell post-election protests, which reportedly left hundreds dead. Reports indicate that the violence has led to further distress among Kenyan nationals.
Several families in Kenya have expressed concern for the safety of their relatives in Tanzania, following reports that some Kenyans have been killed, injured, or detained, while others are nursing injuries allegedly inflicted by Tanzanian security officers. Rights groups have expressed alarm over the treatment of Kenyans, with activists urging immediate action to protect them from being used as scapegoats amid escalating tensions.
Kenya's foreign affairs ministry has now asked relatives of Kenyans who may be in distress in Tanzania to share their names, addresses and emergency contacts, acknowledging the public's growing concerns about tracing those possibly affected by the unrest in Tanzania.
