The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has called on the government to urgently establish the whereabouts of Tanzanian political activist Twaha Salim Mwaipaya, who was reportedly abducted by unidentified individuals in Machakos County.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, KNCHR Chairperson Claris Ogangah said Mwaipaya was abducted on Sunday, October 25, while travelling in a taxi to visit friends in Kamulu.
According to the commission, Mwaipaya was intercepted at approximately 2:00 p.m., forcibly removed from the vehicle and taken away by his captors in a convoy of three vehicles. His whereabouts remain unknown.
“The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) is greatly concerned by the reported abduction of Twaha Salim Mwaipaya, a Tanzanian political activist last Sunday 25th October 2026 in Machakos County,” the commission stated.
KNCHR further reported that Mwaipaya fled Tanzania for Kenya in 2025, fearing for his life and personal safety. The commission has called on the government to take immediate steps to locate the activist, guarantee his safety and hold accountable anyone found responsible for his disappearance.
“In fulfilment of this mandate, the Commission calls upon the Government of Kenya to take urgent measures to establish Mr. Mwaipaya’s whereabouts, guarantee his safety and security, and hold accountable any individuals or entities found responsible for his disappearance,” KNCHR said.
The commission warned that the incident appeared to be part of a wider pattern of enforced disappearances, abductions and alleged unlawful cross-border transfers involving people living in or seeking refuge in Kenya.
It cited previous incidents involving Tanzanian nationals Maria Tsehai Sarungi and Mshabaha Hamza, who were reportedly abducted at gunpoint in Nairobi over the past two years.
KNCHR also recalled an incident in October 2024, when the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs publicly acknowledged that the Kenyan government had repatriated four Turkish refugees who had reportedly disappeared following their abduction in Nairobi.
The commission further cited the reported abduction of Ugandan opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye in Nairobi and his forcible transfer to Uganda in November 2024.
According to KNCHR, such incidents raise serious concerns about the protection of people at risk, adherence to the rule of law and Kenya’s compliance with its constitutional and international human rights obligations.
“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 stated.
It warned that the incidents could undermine Kenya’s longstanding reputation as a safe destination for people fleeing persecution, political repression and threats to their lives across the region and beyond.
KNCHR emphasised that Kenya is constitutionally and internationally obligated to protect the rights of everyone within its jurisdiction, regardless of nationality or immigration status.
The commission cited Articles 26, 28, 29 and 49 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, which provide for the right to life, human dignity, freedom and security of the person, and the rights of arrested persons.
It said cases involving possible enforced disappearances require prompt, independent and effective investigations to establish the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and ensure that those responsible are held accountable under the law.
The commission also called on the government to uphold international refugee and human rights protections, including the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the principle of non-refoulement.
The principle prohibits returning or transferring individuals to places where they face persecution or other serious human rights violations.
“Kenya’s obligations under international refugee and human rights law, including the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the principle of non-refoulement, must also be upheld,” KNCHR stated.
“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 urged the government to strengthen protections for refugees, asylum seekers, political exiles and other people at risk within Kenya’s borders. It also cautioned state agencies against actions that could directly or indirectly facilitate unlawful renditions or violate the principle of non-refoulement.
“Kenya must uphold its constitutional values and international obligations by ensuring that its territory is not used as a venue for transnational repression, enforced disappearances, or the extrajudicial transfer of individuals to jurisdictions where they face persecution or other serious human rights violations,” the commission said.
KNCHR said it would continue monitoring the situation as it pressed for urgent action to locate Mwaipaya, protect his life and safety, and ensure accountability for any violations of his fundamental rights.
The commission appealed to members of the public with information about the reported abduction to come forward.
