Nairobi — Kenya has formally demanded the release or immediate consular access to outspoken activist Boniface Mwangi, whose whereabouts remain unknown days after his reported arrest in Tanzania.
Mwangi was detained on Monday in Dar es Salaam under unclear circumstances. Tanzanian authorities later claimed he had been released and repatriated. But as of Thursday morning, Kenyan officials say they have neither seen him nor received confirmation of his return.
In a sharply worded diplomatic note dated 21 May, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs expressed “deep concern” over Mwangi’s continued detention and the lack of transparency surrounding his case.
“The Government of Kenya urges the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to expeditiously and without delay facilitate consular access to or release of Mr Mwangi,” the note reads.
The document, addressed to Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, cites Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which guarantees the right of consular officers to visit and communicate with detained nationals abroad.
“Consular officers shall have the right to visit a national of the sending State who is in prison, custody or detention,” the statement said, adding that access to legal representation must also be guaranteed.
Despite public statements from Tanzanian officials suggesting Mwangi had already been released and sent back to Kenya, no independent verification of his whereabouts has been made. Kenyan authorities say they have not received any formal communication or seen any evidence of his return.
The silence has only deepened public concern. Mwangi, a prominent figure in Kenya’s civil rights movement and a frequent critic of government overreach, has often found himself at the centre of political tensions.
Efforts to contact him or establish his location have so far been unsuccessful. Human rights groups have begun calling for transparency and an immediate accounting of his condition.
“It’s worrying that a well-known figure can vanish like this with no clarity,” said George Kegoro, a Nairobi-based human rights lawyer. “Tanzania has a responsibility under international law to account for his detention or release. This is not something that can be brushed aside.”
Kenya, for its part, has attempted to balance firmness with diplomacy. In its note, the government stressed its commitment to maintaining friendly ties with Tanzania and expressed hope for a “swift and amicable resolution” to the matter.
There has been no official comment from Tanzanian authorities since the initial claim of Mwangi’s repatriation.
The situation places pressure on both governments at a delicate time, especially as East African neighbours continue to deepen regional cooperation.
For now, Mwangi’s family and colleagues are left waiting and wondering.
“We just want to know that he’s safe,” a close friend told reporters. “That’s all we’re asking.”
