By Ongaga Ongaga
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has demanded urgent action to establish the whereabouts of a Tanzanian activist allegedly abducted in Machakos County.
Twaha Salim Mwaipaya was reportedly seized by unidentified individuals on Sunday, October 25, while travelling in a taxi to visit friends in Kamulu.
Also Read
According to the Commission, the activist was intercepted at about 2pm, forcibly removed from the vehicle and bundled into a convoy of three vehicles.
His whereabouts remain unknown.
KNCHR chairperson Claris Ogangah said the incident raised serious concerns about the safety of foreign nationals, refugees and political exiles living in Kenya.
The Commission said Mwaipaya fled Tanzania in 2025 over fears for his life and personal safety.
It warned that the alleged abduction appeared to be part of a worrying pattern of enforced disappearances, abductions and unlawful cross-border transfers involving individuals residing in or seeking refuge in Kenya.
“Such incidents raise grave questions regarding the protection of persons at risk, respect for the rule of law, and Kenya’s compliance with its constitutional and international human rights obligations,” the Commission said in a statement issued on Thursday.
It cited previous incidents involving Tanzanian nationals Maria Tsehai Sarungi and Mshabaha Hamza, who were reportedly abducted at gunpoint in Nairobi.
The Commission also recalled the disappearance of four Turkish refugees who were subsequently repatriated by the Kenyan Government, an action publicly acknowledged by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs in October 2024.
It further cited the reported abduction of Ugandan opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye in Nairobi and his subsequent transfer to Uganda in November 2024.
KNCHR said the incidents threatened Kenya’s reputation as a safe haven for people fleeing persecution and political repression.
It reminded the Government that the Constitution guarantees every person within Kenya’s jurisdiction the rights to life, human dignity, freedom and security, irrespective of nationality or immigration status.
The Commission called for prompt, independent and effective investigations into Mwaipaya’s disappearance, including efforts to establish his whereabouts and hold those responsible accountable.
It also urged the Government to protect refugees, asylum seekers and political exiles against unlawful transfers to countries where they could face persecution, torture or other serious human rights violations.
“No person should be subjected to an unlawful transfer, rendition or return that exposes them to persecution, torture or other serious human rights violations,” the Commission said.
It called on the State to uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to territories where they face such dangers.
KNCHR said it would continue monitoring the situation and urged anyone with information about Mwaipaya’s abduction to report through its communication channels.
