Amnesty International Kenya has warned that Kenya risks becoming a hunting ground for foreign dissidents fleeing persecution, following the reported abduction of Tanzanian opposition activist Twaha Mwaipaya in Machakos County on October 25, 2026.
In a statement published on Tuesday, October 27, Amnesty called on Kenyan authorities to urgently establish Mwaipaya’s whereabouts, guarantee his safety and investigate the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
The activist was reportedly travelling in a taxi to visit friends in Kamulu when individuals using three vehicles, including a Toyota Land Cruiser hardtop, intercepted the vehicle and took him away.
His whereabouts remained unknown in reports published on October 27, while the identities of those allegedly involved and the circumstances of the incident had not been independently established.
Amnesty warned that the incident raises fresh concerns about transnational repression, in which governments or suspected agents target critics beyond their national borders.
The organization cited previous cases involving foreign opposition figures and human rights defenders who were reportedly abducted in Kenya, forcibly transferred across borders or targeted in attempted abductions.
Among them is Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, who was abducted in Nairobi in November 2024 and resurfaced four days later in Kampala, where he was arraigned before a military court alongside his associate, Haji Obeid Lutale.
Amnesty condemned Besigye’s abduction and the absence of a lawful extradition process, warning of the consequences when individuals are transferred between countries outside established legal safeguards.
The organization also recalled the January 2017 abductions of South Sudanese human rights lawyer Dong Samuel Luak and opposition figure Aggrey Ezbon Idri, who were subsequently killed in South Sudan, according to human rights investigations.
Amnesty further raised concerns about the reported abduction of Ethiopian national Samson Gebreigzi Teklemichael in Nairobi in November 2021 and cases involving Tanzanian activists who were reportedly targeted in Kenya.
The rights organization argued that Kenya’s responsibility to protect people within its territory extends beyond determining whether government officials directly participated in an alleged abduction.
It urged authorities to investigate credible allegations, establish the whereabouts of missing people, protect individuals facing threats and hold those responsible accountable through lawful proceedings.
The appeal comes amid uncertainty surrounding the official response to Mwaipaya’s disappearance. On October 27, the National Police Service disowned a statement circulating online that purported to announce investigations into the alleged abduction, warning that the document did not originate from the service.
The police notice did not, by itself, establish whether an investigation into Mwaipaya’s disappearance had been opened.
Amnesty grounded its demands in Kenya’s Constitution, international human rights obligations and refugee protection laws, including the Refugees Act, 2021, which provides safeguards against returning refugees and asylum seekers to countries where they face specified risks of persecution or serious harm.
The organization called for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation, including the examination of witness accounts and available surveillance footage, to determine what happened to Mwaipaya and whether any public officials were involved.
It also urged the government to ensure that the activist is not forcibly transferred to Tanzania or another country where he could face persecution or serious human rights violations.
Amnesty said Kenya must strengthen protections for refugees, asylum seekers, political dissidents and human rights defenders, warning that cooperation with foreign governments must not override constitutional rights or international legal obligations.
