Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, has become a place where many people are disappearing. People from nearby countries are going missing or being sent back home under mysterious circumstances.
In the last part of 2024, even foreigners were not safe from this danger. They were taken away by masked men as soon as they arrived in Kenya.
Problems started when Kenyan officials arrested and sent back 36 people who went to Kisumu on July 23. They were attending a training course on leadership and governance.
These 36 people were from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), a major opposition party in Uganda. They were accused in Uganda of travelling to Kenya to receive or give training related to terrorism.
The safety of foreign citizens became even more concerning when four Turkish refugees living in Kenya were also kidnapped by armed men and sent back to Turkey.
To respond to growing anger from the international community, Korir Sing’oei, the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, explained that this deportation happened in October because the Turkish government requested it. He emphasized the strong relationship between Kenya and Turkey.
A month later, Kizza Besigye, a well-known critic of the Ugandan government, was kidnapped along with his aide, Hajj Obeid Lutale, while in Nairobi for a book launch by Martha Karua.
Besigye is facing serious charges in Uganda related to security and illegal possession of firearms after he was taken to a military jail.
His abduction caused a lot of anger in Nairobi. Many lawyers, led by Karua, went to court to help him.
Sing’oei denied claims that Kenyan security forces were involved in the kidnapping. He stated that the Ugandan government had not informed Kenya about Besigye’s visit, which made it difficult for local authorities to provide security for him.
He reassured people that Kenya has always been a safe place for many individuals.
Shortly after this, on January 12, 2025, a Tanzanian activist named Maria Sarungi Tsehai was kidnapped in Nairobi when she was on her way to a hair salon.
Reports say that three men stopped her taxi and forced her into another vehicle before driving away.
Fortunately, she was released later that evening after human rights organizations, like Amnesty International Kenya and the Law Society of Kenya, got involved.
After her release, Tsehai thanked people in a video, saying, “Thank you very much, dear Kenyans and Tanzanians. I am safe, and God is good. I will say thank you properly tomorrow.” She often writes against Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu and shares her views on her blog and social media.
