The High Court has ordered authorities to produce Twaha Mwaipaya on November 2.
The High Court has ordered security agencies to present the missing Tanzanian activist on November 2 and explain his arrest and detention.
The High Court has ordered security agencies to produce missing Tanzanian activist Twaha Mwaipaya, dead or alive, on November 2. The agencies must also explain his arrest and detention following a petition by human rights organisation Vocal Africa.
Justice Alexander Muteti issued the directions on Friday after certifying Vocal Africa’s application as urgent. The organisation filed the application on October 27, 2026, seeking the activist’s production before the court.
Twaha Mwaipaya court order sets Monday deadline
The court directed security agencies to present Mwaipaya at 11am, alongside his original detention warrant. They must also explain why he should not immediately regain his freedom.
In addition, Justice Muteti summoned security chiefs to account for the activist’s arrest and detention. The order requires the respondents to produce him “live or dead”.
The court set close of business on Friday as the deadline for serving respondents and interested parties with the application and order. It also directed them to file and serve any responses by 9am on Monday, November 2.
The case will return to court at 11am that day for further directions and orders. Meanwhile, human rights organisations have urged authorities to locate the activist and ensure his safety.
Rights groups raise alarm over reported abduction
The petition follows reports that abductors seized Mwaipaya in Kamulu, Machakos County, on October 25. Amnesty International Kenya and the Defenders Coalition said he was travelling by taxi to visit friends at around 2pm.
The organisations said those allegedly involved used three vehicles, including a Toyota Land Cruiser hardtop. They also appealed to anyone with information to help establish his whereabouts.
Amnesty International Kenya urged authorities to urgently locate Mwaipaya and protect him. Similarly, the Defenders Coalition called for swift action to find him and guarantee his protection.
Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi also raised concerns that authorities could forcibly return Mwaipaya to Tanzania. She alleged that he fled to Kenya after Tanzanian police abducted and severely tortured him.
Sarungi warned that returning him would endanger his life and called for heightened vigilance at the border. She also used the hashtag #FreeTwahaMwaipaya in her appeal.
Sarungi, a critic of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, herself reported an abduction in Nairobi’s Kilimani area on January 12, 2025. Her captors released her later that day, and she subsequently alleged that the Tanzanian government was responsible.
