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Suspected agents have abducted Tanzanian opposition figure and prominent dissident Twaha Mwaipaya in Kenya, signalling an escalation in cross-border crackdowns against critics of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.
Unidentified individuals travelling in three vehicles intercepted Mwaipaya on Sunday afternoon while he was riding in a taxi through Kamulu, Machakos County, just east of Nairobi.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International and Mwaipaya’s party, Chadema, both confirmed the kidnapping and voiced severe concern for his safety.
Mwaipaya, a leading youth organiser who commands nearly 600,000 Instagram followers, fled to Kenya last year after facing imprisonment in 2022 for criticising the Tanzanian government.
Chadema’s foreign affairs chief, John Kitoka—who also lives in exile in Nairobi following last year’s election violence—warned of lethal outcomes, stating, “They rounded him up and took him away… They might end up killing him because such abductions don’t end up with the police.”
Kitoka added that he personally feels “very unsafe” due to reports of state-sponsored snatch squads operating in Nairobi.
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The incident highlights an alarming pattern of transnational repression, with Kenyan authorities facing intense international scrutiny for permitting foreign governments to forcibly extradite political refugees in violation of international law.
Previous high-profile kidnappings in Nairobi include the forced return of four Turkish refugees in October 2024, the seizure of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye in November 2024, and the targeted abductions of Tanzanian activists Maria Sarungi Tsehai in January 2025 and Mshabaha Hamza in February 2026.
Rights groups continue to urge regional authorities to locate Mwaipaya immediately and guarantee his protection.
