Tanzania Arrests Kenyan–U.S. Soldier in Alleged Attempt to Enter Country with Explosives
Tanzanian authorities have confirmed the arrest of a Kenyan–U.S. dual national who was allegedly attempting to enter the country while in possession of military-grade explosives. Police say the suspect, a 30-year-old U.S. Army sergeant, was detained at the Sirari border point on Sunday afternoon.
In a statement released late on Sunday, the Tanzania Police Force said the man was intercepted at around midday by officers in the Tarime-Rorya region as he attempted to drive into Tanzanian territory from Kenya in a Toyota Land Cruiser.
According to the statement, officers discovered four CS M68 hand grenades in his possession. “A dual citizen of the United States and Kenya, a United States Army soldier holding the rank of Sergeant, [was found] with four CS M68 hand grenades, coming from Kenya to enter Tanzania,” the police report said. It added that the country’s strict firearms and explosives laws made the attempted entry unlawful: “According to the Arms Ownership Law, even if he asked for permission, he would not be allowed to enter the country with the bombs.”
Police confirmed that the suspect is currently being interrogated as part of an ongoing investigation. Authorities have not publicly stated why he was travelling with explosive devices, nor whether he had declared them to Kenyan border officials before his attempted entry into Tanzania.
The incident comes at a tense moment for the country, following violent unrest surrounding Tanzania’s general elections held on 29 October. President Samia Suluhu Hassan secured a reported 98 per cent of the vote, triggering widespread protests amid allegations of political unfairness after two major opposition candidates were barred from contesting the presidency.
Human rights organisations allege that hundreds of Tanzanians—and several foreign nationals—were killed in the post-election chaos. Among the victims was a Kenyan teacher, John Ogutu, who had lived and worked in Tanzania for eight years. Kenyan authorities have confirmed that Ogutu’s body, along with that of another Kenyan citizen, remains unaccounted for weeks after the violence.
The fallout has included mass arrests, leaving many Tanzanians deeply distrustful of official statements from security agencies. That scepticism resurfaced on Sunday, with some Tanzanian citizens taking to local forums and social media to question the authenticity of the police’s latest announcement regarding the detained Kenyan-U.S. national.
The arrest also comes just days after the Tanzanian government released two other Kenyan citizens—Frederick Lorent Obuya and John Gitahi Nderitu—who had been detained on election day. The pair spent ten days in custody without charge before being handed over to Kenya’s High Commission in Dar es Salaam and flown home.
Tanzanian officials say further details on the latest arrest will be released once investigations conclude.
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Tanzania Arrests Kenyan–U.S. Soldier in Alleged Attempt to Enter Country with Explosives
