Gachagua warns Kenya ‘not safe’ for foreigners, cites cross-border abductions, deportations

Nairobi, Kenya - Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has raised concerns over the safety of foreigners in Kenya, accusing the current administration of allowing cross-border abductions, forced deportations and alleged transnational repression. Gachagua urged foreign embassies and diplomatic missions to protect their citizens and staff, stating that "Foreigners are not safe, Investors are not safe, no one in Kenya is safe."

He cited several cases of foreign nationals and opposition figures being abducted, detained or forcibly deported from Kenya, including the alleged forced return of 36 Ugandan opposition supporters to Uganda in July 2024, the abduction and deportation of seven Turkish asylum seekers in October 2024, and the kidnapping of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye in November 2024.

Gachagua also highlighted the case of Tanzanian journalist Maria Sarungi, who was nearly abducted in Nairobi in January 2025, and Zimbabwean constitutional lawyer Brian Kagoro, who was detained and deported from Kenya in February 2026. The former Deputy President claimed that these incidents demonstrate a deterioration in security and respect for the rule of law under the current administration and urged foreign governments to pay closer attention to the safety of their nationals in Kenya.