This archive report was first published on 3 July 2021.
Kenyan Businessman Detained in Burundi Prison ¶
Joseph Mboya Nyamuthe, a prominent Kenyan politician and businessman, has been detained incommunicado in a Burundian jail since April 2021, accused of drug trafficking.
According to reports, Mboya was arrested in April 2021 after he was accused of drug trafficking. He is the son-in-law of celebrated Permanent Secretary Hezekiah Oyugi, one of the most powerful politicians during former President Daniel Moi's era.
Mboya hails from Rangwe constituency in Homa Bay County and had expressed interest in contesting for the parliamentary seat prior to relocating to Burundi in 2019. He launched a pharmaceuticals company in Burundi in 2019 that was unveiled by then President the late Jean Pierre Nkurunzinza.
However, Mboya and his associates were accused of using the company to export and import illegal substances in the East African country. Detectives reportedly started tracking Mboya after a Turkish national was arrested at Bujumbura Airport allegedly trafficking narcotics on March 20.
It was alleged that Mboya's company ferried drugs to Burundi via Somalia in the disguise of medicine imported for the country's military and peacekeeping armed forces. Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye and President Uhuru Kenyatta reportedly discussed Mboya's detention when the former toured Kenya on June 1, Madaraka Day.
Despite the reports, Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna declined to comment when contacted, stating, "I have no knowledge of his whereabouts."
