NAIROBI,Kenya Nov 22-Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei has assured the family of the late John Okoth Ogutu a Kenyan teacher killed during post-electoral unrest in Dar es Salaam that the government is intensifying efforts to locate and repatriate his body, amid growing concerns over its disappearance.
PS Sing’oei met Ogutu’s distraught relatives this week, promising that Kenya will stand with the family until the remains of our late national are brought home.
He explained that the repatriation process had been slowed by delays in the swearing-in of key Tanzanian government officials, but noted that with the new cabinet now in place, Nairobi is optimistic Dodoma will respond promptly and conclusively.
“Met the family of the late John Okoth Ogutu, a school teacher in Tanzania, who lost his life during the post electoral disturbances in Dar Es Salaam. Assured them of government’s commitment to finding and repatriating the remains of our late national,”PS Sing’oei stated.
The assurance comes as fresh details emerge about the tragic death and subsequent disappearance of Ogutu’s body following violence that engulfed parts of Tanzania after the October 29 elections.
Ogutu, 33, had lived and worked in Dar es Salaam for more than a decade. He taught at Sky School Primary in the city’s Kinondoni District and was reportedly preparing to travel back to Kenya as tensions rose.
According to his family, a contact in Tanzania relayed the devastating news that Ogutu had been shot at Goba Centre in Ubungo District as protests escalated soon after the polls closed.
Eyewitnesses and local activists claim security forces used live ammunition in several hotspots as opposition supporters clashed with police amid allegations of unfair representation and the arrest of key opposition figures, including Tundu Lissu, ahead of the vote.
It was during this wave of unrest that Ogutu was fatally shot, shortly after 7 pm.
Initial reports indicated that Ogutu’s remains had been taken to Mwananyamala Mortuary. But when his colleagues visited the facility after calm returned, they were told that only two bodies were present and his was not among them.
The Foreign Affairs ministry says it has been receiving consistent updates from the Kenyan Embassy in Dar es Salaam, even as it pushes Tanzanian authorities for answers.
Earlier this month, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi held bilateral talks with Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, in an effort to ease rising consular concerns.
The November 6 meeting focused on the safety of Kenyan nationals living in Tanzania, many of whom were affected by the post-election disorder.
In a statement, the ministry said Mudavadi had raised Ogutu’s case directly, noting that the body of Ogutu has not been traced to date, and reaffirming Kenya’s demand for a full account of the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
“We are engaging Tanzanian authorities through our High Commission in Dar es Salaam to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing and ensure justice for the victim’s family,” Mudavadi said.
He also confirmed that eight Kenyans arrested across Tanzania during the unrest have since been released, while three others remain in custody two in Arusha and one in Dar es Salaam with consular support ongoing.
Despite the tensions, Mudavadi stressed that Kenya continues to recognise President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration and remains committed to cooperation within the East African Community framework.
