Dar es Salaam – A United States citizen, Thadey Sabinus Kweka, has been detained in Moshi, Tanzania, on allegations of publishing false information, in a case that has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and human rights observers.
A court has ordered Mr Kweka to surrender the passwords to his mobile phone to law enforcement, raising concerns about due process and privacy rights amidst a sweeping post-election crackdown on dissent.
Mr Kweka, a Tanzanian-born activist who had returned to the country for the holidays, was arrested on December 28, 2025. According to court documents, he is accused of publishing “false information” in WhatsApp groups.
On December 31, the Resident Magistrate’s Court in Moshi granted an application from the Director of Public Prosecutions, compelling Mr Kweka to provide security credentials for his Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to assist in the investigation.
The court order has been criticised by legal experts. Alphonce Lusako, an advocate, argued in a commentary on JamiiForums that the ruling was issued “secretly” without Mr Kweka or his legal representatives present.
READ MORE: Desperate Searches and Arrests Continue to Define Tanzania’s Post-Election Crackdown
Lusako stated the hearing was improperly conducted as a one-sided “ex parte” matter, violating Mr Kweka’s constitutional right to a fair hearing.
Mr Kweka’s detention occurs within a broader context of a violent state-led crackdown following the contested October 29 general election. Human rights organisations have documented hundreds of alleged extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
The post-election violence has prompted the United States to “comprehensively review” its relationship with Tanzania.
The case also raises diplomatic issues. Mr Kweka is a US citizen who entered Tanzania on a tourist visa. According to reports, police have prevented him from signing a Consular Notification and Access Form from the US Embassy and have denied him access to his lawyer.
These actions could be in violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, experts underscores.
The broader crackdown has created a “climate of fear,” with many Tanzanians living abroad now fearing arrest for past online criticism of the government.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who won the election with a disputed 97.6 per cent of the vote, has defended the actions of the security forces, describing the widespread protests as “organised riots.”
