Kenyan officials denied access to activist Boniface Mwangi
The protest note was issued in Nairobi on 21st May 2025 and directed to the Tanzanian Ministry based in Dodoma.
Kenya's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has expressed deep concern over the detention of Kenyan citizen, activist, Boniface Mwangi, by Tanzanian authorities.
In a formal protest note addressed to Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, the Kenyan government noted that despite several requests, Tanzanian officials have denied consular access and withheld information regarding Mwangi’s well-being and legal status.
The Ministry cited the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, to which both Kenya and Tanzania are signatories.
"Consular officers shall be free to communicate with nationals of the sending State and to have access to them. Nationals of the sending State shall have the same freedom with respect to communication with and access to consular officers of the sending State," cites the treaty.
Kenya emphasized that these provisions are being violated in Mwangi’s case.
In its statement, the Ministry urged the Tanzanian government to “expeditiously and without delay” allow consular access to Mwangi or secure his release, in line with international legal obligations and diplomatic norms.
Reaffirming its commitment to the cordial bilateral relations between the two nations, Kenya expressed hope that the matter will be resolved swiftly and amicably in the spirit of regional cooperation and mutual respect.
"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, in the spirit of regional cooperation and mutual respect," explained the statement.
The protest note was issued in Nairobi on 21st May 2025 and directed to the Tanzanian Ministry based in Dodoma.
