By Mandere Onyinkwa
The Linda Mwananchi Movement has condemned the reported abduction of Tanzanian opposition activist Twaha Mwaipaya in Kamulu, Machakos County.
The movement is now demanding that the Kenyan government disclose his whereabouts and guarantee his safety.
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In a statement issued on Monday, the movement said Mwaipaya was allegedly seized on Sunday by individuals travelling in three vehicles while he was in a taxi.
Citing Amnesty International, the group said the activist’s whereabouts remained unknown and called on Kenyan authorities to protect him from possible forced removal from the country.
“We demand that the Kenyan authorities disclose his whereabouts, ensure his safety and protect him from any forced removal from Kenya,” the statement said.
The movement, through its Head of Communication Pauline Njoroge, described the incident as part of a worrying pattern of abductions targeting opposition figures and human rights defenders from neighbouring countries.
It cited the November 2024 abduction of Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye in Nairobi, who was subsequently taken to Uganda and arraigned before a military court, where he remains in detention.
The group also recalled the January 2025 abduction of Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai in Nairobi. She was released hours later following public outrage and intervention by human rights defenders.
“Now comes the abduction of Twaha Mwaipaya,” the statement said.
The movement accused the government of undermining Kenya’s traditional role as a refuge for people fleeing political persecution in the region.
“Kenya has provided sanctuary to defenders of democracy and human rights fleeing persecution in the region. This is something we have taken pride in,” it said.
It further warned that the country should not become a place where people escaping repression are tracked down, abducted and returned to countries where they fear persecution.
The statement also criticised President William Ruto’s administration, accusing it of eroding democratic freedoms and betraying Kenya’s regional responsibility to protect human rights defenders.
“We condemn the Ruto regime’s undemocratic conduct and its continued erosion of the freedoms that generations of Kenyans fought to secure,” the movement said.
It called for an independent investigation into Mwaipaya’s reported abduction and accountability for all those involved, irrespective of their positions or nationality.
The group urged Kenya to uphold democracy, human rights and the rule of law, saying it would resist any attempts to undermine constitutional freedoms.
“Kenya must remain the last man standing in defence of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in this region,” the statement added.
The statement was signed by Njoroge on behalf of the movement’s National Secretariat.
