Tanzanian activist Twaha Mwaipaya has reportedly been abducted by armed men in Kamulu, on the outskirts of Nairobi. His family, friends and fellow activists are now worried about his safety and where he is being held.
According to Amnesty International, the abduction happened at around 2 pm on the day it was reported. Mwaipaya was in a taxi on his way to visit friends in Kamulu, Machakos County, when the men struck. The rights group says the abductors moved in three vehicles, one of them a Toyota Land Cruiser Hardtop. So far, no police statement has been made public about the incident.
Mwaipaya is no stranger to trouble. He is a human rights defender and political commentator from Tanzania, and he serves as the national mobilisation coordinator for the youth wing of CHADEMA, the main opposition party in Tanzania. He has held that position since 2019. He has spoken out strongly for a new constitution, saying the 1977 document gives too much power to the president. He has also criticised police brutality, corruption and human rights abuses back home.
He has not been shy about criticising President Samia Suluhu Hassan either. He accuses her government of silencing dissent and blocking constitutional reforms, and he has challenged security agencies to answer for alleged abuses. For many activists, that kind of boldness is exactly why his disappearance is causing alarm.
Fellow activist Maria Sarungi has confirmed the news and said she is working day and night with human rights organisations to find him. She has also asked Kenyan authorities to shut down the Namanga border, which links Kenya and Tanzania, and set up checkpoints to help secure his release. She made a similar appeal earlier, pleading with Kenyans who can to head to the border and check vehicles, especially Toyota Hardtops.
This case is not an isolated one. Sarungi herself was abducted in Nairobi's Kilimani neighbourhood in November 2025, only to be released hours later. Earlier this year, Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi was reportedly seized in Tanzania and later found in a bush in Kwale County. Uganda has its own problems too, with opposition figures such as Bobi Wine and Kizza Besigye often facing harassment, and many ordinary citizens say their rights are being trampled on as well.
Both Kenya and Tanzania have faced growing criticism over the silencing of critics, journalists and human rights defenders. Activists say cross-border repression is becoming a real threat, and many want governments in the region to take it seriously.
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