Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alfred Mutua has reacted to an online video of a Kenyan crying for help in Tanzania.
Mutua's attention was drawn to a viral clip of Kenyan Fredrick Omondi who lamented how police in Tanzania harassed him.
The Foreign Affairs CS directed the Kenyan High Commission in Dar-es-Salaam to assist Omondi.
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"Kenyan Mr. Frederick Omondi is being assisted by the Kenyan High Commission in Dar-es-Salaam. We will give him as much support as legally possible. This afternoon he was welcomed by Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania Amb. Isaac Njenga and Mission staff," Mutua tweeted.
Kenyan Mr. Frederick Omondi is being assisted by the Kenyan High Commission in Dar-es-Salaam. We will give him as much support as legally possible. This afternoon he was welcomed by Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania Amb. Isaac Njenga and Mission staff. pic.twitter.com/0l2lj7oZmu— Dr. Alfred N. Mutua (@DrAlfredMutua) November 1, 2022
Omondi's plight
In the video, Omondi said that he was invited to Tanzania in 2016 by his late boss whom he met while in Kenya.
He was tasked with managing a new hotel Poppe which was developing.
Unfortunately, the boss died in 2021 due to Coronavirus.
Omondi was then allegedly accused by his employer's son of stealing from his father.
He decided to open his own pharmacy business and named it Bamburi Pharmaceutical Limited after leaving his former boss' company.
He later got another job as an HR manager. It was while working there that he was accosted by police officers who accused him of being a thug.
Omondi said the police seized his passport and locked him up for a month without charging him with anything or presenting him in court.
He was finally charged with theft of construction equipment and presented in court where he was released on bond as police continued with their 'investigations'.
Omondi said the case kept dragging in court as police kept telling the court that they were still investigating his case.
He ultimately got fed up and decided to seek assistance from the Kenyan High Commission who wrote to the Tanzanian Permanent Secretary (PS) Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Omondi said the PS made calls to the court and that during the mention of his case the judge told him he would be freed and compensated but warned him that the prosecutor had been bribed to fix him.
He lamented that he was flat broke after his passport was confiscated and couldn't get any work. He noted that he couldn't even afford to pay for his legal fee.
Omondi called on Alfred Mutua to help him saying his intervention would go a long way in helping the court dismiss his case.
"All I am asking for is not too much. Right now these guys have corrupted the court in Tanzania. Tanzania is not a bad country but they are very anti-Kenyan. So if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nairobi can just tell the embassy in Dar 'sikizeni hii storo just come be observers'. These guys will just become scared kwamba there's a big brother watching. The magistrate has told me 'you will win this case and we will give you good compensation - almost Ksh50 million. But I don't know if it can get to that place coz I feel like I will commit suicide at any point right now," Omondi lamented.
Hi Guys!
Received info that a Kenyan by the name Fredrick Omondi is going through hell in TZ. He is being falsely accused and He really needs the @ForeignOfficeKE in TZ to attend the court hearing on 4th of November. Attached below is his story. https://t.co/Jjo9LOR4kh— Abel Mutua (@MutuaAbel) October 31, 2022
Every Kenyan abroad will be helped
Mutua asserted that the government will help all Kenyans abroad who need help after watching the viral clip of Omondi pleading for assistance.
"I have noted the online clip of Kenyan Frederick Omondi who is being held in Tanzania. I have directed our TZ team to find out the whole story & to assist him. As I had said earlier, EVERY Kenyan who is outside Kenya will receive attention and support regardless of the situation," Mutua tweeted.
I have noted the online clip of Kenyan Frederick Omondi who is being held in Tanzania. I have directed our TZ team to find out the whole story & to assist him. As I had said earlier, EVERY Kenyan who is outside Kenya will receive attention and support regardless of the situation. pic.twitter.com/kSLafb5McA— Dr. Alfred N. Mutua (@DrAlfredMutua) November 1, 2022
