One of the outspoken Tanzanian activists, Twaha Mwaipaya, who is also a member of the leading opposition party, is still missing after he was reportedly abducted by unknown men in Kenya.
Mwaipaya is said to have been snatched by a gang of people who ambushed his taxicab in the Kamulu area on the outskirts of Nairobi City, on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Members of the opposition parties in Tanzania are calling on the Kenyan government to step into the issue and ensure that Mwaipaya is found alive and safe.
They suspect that the thugs could have been sent from Tanzania to capture him in Kenya where he thought he could be safe.
The Nairobi Chapter of Amnesty International, reported that 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, the police in Kenya have not issued any statement regarding the abduction.
Mwaipaya is a human rights defender and political commentator from Tanzania, and he serves as the national mobilization coordinator for the youth wing of the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), the main and only trusted opposition party in Tanzania.
He has held that position since 2019 and has always been advocating for a new constitution, saying the 1977 document gives too much power to the president. He has also criticized police brutality, corruption and human rights abuses back in Tanzania.
Fellow activist Maria Sarungi who also lives in Kenya has confirmed the incident.
Sarungi, who is a daughter of the former Tanzanian Cabinet Minister, Philemon Sarungi, had previously also experienced an abduction attempt in Kenya.
She said she is working day and night with human rights organizations to find Mwaipaya.
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.
Sarungi herself was abducted in Nairobi’s Kilimani neighborhood 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.
