Tanzanian security agencies are holding a U.S. Army sergeant with dual Kenyan and American citizenship after four military-grade grenades were discovered hidden in his vehicle at the Sirari border crossing.
Authorities identified the suspect as 30-year-old Charles Onkuri Ongeta, who was intercepted on Sunday while driving a Toyota Land Cruiser, registration KDP 502Y, from Kenya into Tanzania. A statement from the Tarime–Rorya Regional Police Command confirmed that officers recovered four CS M68 fragmentation grenades during a routine inspection.
According to police, the grenade, classified as prohibited war munitions under Tanzanian law, cannot be granted entry permits under any circumstance. “The suspect attempted to enter Tanzania with four M68 hand grenades, which are illegal and cannot be authorized,” the police statement noted.
Investigators are still recording witness accounts, verifying documents, and conducting forensic analysis before formal charges are filed. As of Monday, neither the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam nor the Kenyan government or Pentagon had publicly commented on the arrest.
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The incident comes at a volatile moment for Tanzania, only weeks after the highly contested October 29, 2025 general elections sparked widespread unrest across the country. President Samia Suluhu Hassan secured a second term amid allegations from the opposition that the vote was manipulated through orchestrated intimidation, ballot stuffing, and state-engineered fraud.
The disputed results triggered demonstrations in major cities including Dar es Salaam and Arusha. Opposition party Chadema claimed that security forces were responsible for more than 3,000 deaths, while independent rights groups place the confirmed fatalities between 500 and 700, including foreign nationals. Several Kenyans were reported dead or detained during the violence.
During her swearing-in ceremony on November 3, President Suluhu accused unnamed “foreign actors” of fueling the turmoil. Her remarks were widely interpreted as an indirect rebuke of Kenya, deepening existing tensions and prompting both countries to tighten border surveillance.
The seizure of U.S. military explosives from a Kenyan-born American serviceman raises serious concerns about possible cross-border weapons trafficking or covert political interference. The M68 fragmentation grenades are standard lethal battlefield devices, not crowd-control tools, intensifying alarm over why they were being transported.
As Tanzanian investigators dig deeper, the case threatens to evolve into a sensitive diplomatic dispute involving Washington, Nairobi, and Dar es Salaam, with regional stability already under strain.
