By Phyllis Mwende
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs raised alarm on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, over the continued detention of a Kenyan citizen, Mr. Boniface Mwangi, by Tanzanian authorities.
Mwangi, holder of passport number BK 472892, was reportedly being held in Tanzania under unclear circumstances. The Kenyan government said it had been denied access to him despite several formal requests.
“The Ministry is also concerned about his health, overall wellbeing and the absence of information regarding his detention,” the statement from the ministry read.
The ministry cited provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963), which guarantees consular access to nationals of the sending state held in detention abroad.
“Consular officers shall be free to communicate with nationals of the sending state and to have access to them,” the ministry noted.
“Consular officers shall have the right to visit a national of the sending state who is in prison, custody or detention, to converse and correspond with him and to arrange for his legal representation,” the ministry added.
In the diplomatic note addressed to the Tanzanian government, Kenya urged authorities in Dodoma to act swiftly.
“The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs respectfully urges the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to expeditiously and without delay facilitate consular access to or release of Mr. Mwangi,” the Ministry urged.
The statement reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to regional diplomacy and peaceful resolution of the matter.
“The Government of Kenya reaffirms its commitment to the cordial bilateral relations that exist between the two countries and expresses the hope that this matter will be resolved swiftly and amicably,” the ministry remarked.
The protest note was addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, based in Dodoma.