Tanzania’s opposition party CHADEMA has formally written to Kenyan President William Ruto over the reported abduction of its member and activist Twaha Mwaipaya, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Speaking to journalists in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, CHADEMA Secretary-General John Mnyika said the party had delivered a letter to the Kenyan Embassy in Tanzania, asking that it be forwarded to President Ruto without delay. Mnyika made the announcement shortly after a meeting of the party’s Central Committee.
“Today, apart from issuing a press statement on the abduction of Twaha Mwaipaya, we have formally written to President William Ruto on behalf of the party. We have delivered the letter to the Kenyan Embassy here in Tanzania so that it reaches him quickly,” Mnyika said.
Mwaipaya, a Tanzanian human rights activist and former youth mobilization coordinator in CHADEMA, was reportedly abducted on Sunday, October 25, at around 2 p.m. in Kamulu, Machakos County, on the outskirts of Nairobi. According to Amnesty International Kenya, he was travelling by taxi to visit friends when he was intercepted by unidentified individuals travelling in three vehicles, including a Toyota Land Cruiser Hardtop. Amnesty has called on Kenyan authorities to urgently establish his whereabouts and ensure his safety.
Mwaipaya has previously been involved in CHADEMA’s youth wing, BAVICHA, and has spoken publicly about constitutional reforms, political freedoms and accountability in Tanzania. He has previously faced arrests over his political activities. In 2022, CHADEMA went to court seeking information about his whereabouts after he was detained by police in Morogoro. Mwaipaya later left Tanzania for Kenya in 2025, where he continued speaking out about political developments in his home country, including through social media. His reported abduction has once again raised concerns about the safety of Tanzanian activists in Kenya, following several similar incidents in recent years.
In January 2025, Tanzanian journalist and activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai was abducted by armed men in Nairobi’s Kilimani area before being released several hours later. Another Tanzanian activist, Mshabaha Mshabaha Hamza, survived a reported abduction attempt in Kenya in February 2026.
Similar concerns have been raised over the treatment of other foreign nationals in Kenya.
In October 2024, four Turkish refugees were abducted in Nairobi and later returned to Turkey. The Kenyan government acknowledged their repatriation, saying it had acted following a request from Turkish authorities. Human rights organizations criticized the move and questioned Kenya’s commitment to protecting refugees. A month later, Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye was abducted while visiting Nairobi and taken back to Uganda, where he was later charged with treason.
These incidents have raised questions about how safe Kenya remains for activists and opposition figures from neighbouring countries, particularly those who have left their home countries over political concerns.
