Joseph Kabila, the former President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been spotted in Kenya's capital Nairobi.

A military tribunal sentenced Kabila to death on September 30 for treason and war crimes. The former head of state, whose immediate arrest was ordered, was not represented by a lawyer during his trial.

According to the Congolese government, Kabila played a role in M23 rebel group's repeated attacks on civilians and the regular army troops, especially in eastern DRC. Kabila denies the charges.

Following his sentencing in absentia two weeks ago, Kabila's whereabouts were not immediately known, until this week, when he resurfaced in Nairobi.

Diplomatic spat

According to Kenya's The Star newspaper, the 53-year-old Kabila met a group of DRC's opposition figures at a hotel in Nairobi's affluent Karen neighbourhood on Monday.

A viral video clip shared on social media platform X shows Kabila arriving at the supposed venue of the meeting aboard a black Toyota Land Cruiser with several bodyguards dressed in navy-blue or black suits accompanying him into the premises.

Kabila's presence in Kenya may spark a diplomatic spat with the government of DRC, which previously said Nairobi was accommodating armed groups opposed to President Felix Tshisekedi's administration. Kenya denied the claim, saying it was offering ground for dialogue to be held.

TRT Afrika has reached Kenyan government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura and the Foreign Affairs ministry for comment.

Complex relationships with Rwanda, eastern DRC groups

Kinshasa, on the other hand, is yet to issue a public statement about Kabila's reported presence in Kenya.

During Kabila's presidency, between 2001 and 2019, he maintained complex relationships with several Tutsi groups and also the government of Rwanda, which currently has tense relations with DRC.

Members of the M23 rebel group largely belong to the Tutsi ethnic community, which is also present in the neighbouring Rwanda.