Arrest of Turkish citizen has put Kenya under the microscope again

Chief Justice Emeritus Willy Mutunga. [File, Standard]

Chief Justice Emeritus Willy Mutunga’s rhetorical question “Are African governments in the business of selling Turkish citizens to the dictatorship in Türkiye?” deserves closer attention. With the recent arrests of Mustafa Güngör in Kenya and Emre Çınar in Mozambique, a new wave of transnational repression appears to be rising on African soil.
 
Before his arrest on 20 December 2025 and 10-day detention, husband, and father Mustafa Güngör (42) had lived in Kenya as a protected refugee for 15 years. An educationalist by profession, he has educated generations of Kenyan children, including those of senior government officials.