Ruto, Suluhu at it again as abductions spill across borders

In another abduction pointing to possible involvement by the government, Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi — a staunch critic of President William Ruto — was abducted on Wednesday in Tanzania.

Witnesses at the nearby butchery said they were ordered by Tanzanian authorities not to release footage of the abduction, a clear indication that the government might have been involved.

The disappearance of Mwagodi — a hotelier who had become a prominent online critic of political fundraising in churches — has deepened fears about a widening crackdown on dissent that now appears to stretch across East African borders.

“We have not heard anything from the governments, and we are reaching out to the governments to help us find my brother,” said Mwagodi’s sister, BBC Swahili anchor Isabella Kituri.

According to civil society groups and the family, Mwabili kept a low political profile while in Tanzania and was only outspoken when in Nairobi, raising concerns that Kenyan activists are being deliberately targeted across the border.

A message shared by his sister said Mwagodi went missing on the night of Wednesday, July 23, in Dar es Salaam, where he had been working at Amani Beach Hotel in Kigamboni.

“We are unable to reach him. His employer went to report a missing person case this evening but was told to wait until it’s been 24 hours,” read a message sent to human rights activist Hussein Khalid.

Khalid confirmed the incident to The Standard, expressing concern about Mwagodi’s safety and the political implications of the abduction.

The Vocal Africa CEO said Mwagodi was last seen returning to the hotel with a driver when a four-wheel-drive vehicle intercepted them. Unknown men reportedly forcibly abducted him and drove off.

“He was last seen on Wednesday. A vehicle — I think a four-wheel drive — stopped them (him and his driver) requesting assistance. They grabbed him and bundled him into the vehicle and drove away. There was CCTV footage from a nearby butchery… before they could get a copy, the police came and took it away,” claimed Khalid.

Mwagodi, a vocal critic of President Ruto’s administration, has taken part in several protests since last year. Before shifting to online activism, he travelled from Mombasa to Nyahururu to spearhead Gen Z demonstrations outside a church event attended by President Ruto.

“I am fighting to liberate the Church from political corruption in Kenya,” he posted on X.

Beyond successfully pushing to cancel church fundraisers by politicians alleged to be corrupt, he was a prominent figure during the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.

In his last post at 16:07 EAT on Wednesday, he lashed out over frustrations faced by ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, who was under attack from government supporters.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) and other advocates claim that Kenya’s government replaced the disbanded Special Service Unit (SSU) with a new formation called the Operation Support Unit (OSU). HRW, in a report, says OSU has been linked to ongoing kidnappings, enforced disappearances, and patterns of extrajudicial conduct resembling those of the SSU.

“Ruto disbanded SSU and formed OSU, which is doing exactly what the SSU was doing,” said HRW’s Otsieno Namwaya, in a report early this year.

Amnesty Kenya and the Police Reforms Working Group have called for investigations, emphasising that abuses continue despite the SSU’s formal disbandment.

This incident follows other recent cases involving Kenyan activists detained or targeted in Tanzania. On May 19, 2025, Human Rights Activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan human rights lawyer and journalist Agather Atuhaire were abducted by Tanzanian security agents in Dar es Salaam. Mwangi says he was blindfolded, detained for three days, and subjected to torture, including sexual assault and beatings. He was released near the Kenya-Tanzania border on May 22.

Both Mwangi and Atuhaire have filed lawsuits against Tanzanian authorities for torture and unlawful detention.

Observers describe the Mwagodi case as part of a disturbing regional pattern, with outspoken voices disappearing under suspicious circumstances, often involving state actors.

Tanzania, long criticised for shrinking democratic space, remains under scrutiny in 2024–2025 for political repression, media censorship, violent Maasai evictions, LGBTQ persecution, and mounting attacks on civil society. Despite early reform gestures under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, watchdog groups say rights violations persist — and may now include collaboration with foreign regimes to target critics.

Kituri said the family was still gathering details and urged President Ruto’s administration to help secure her brother’s release.

Though not widely known as a full-time activist, Mwagodi had become increasingly vocal on social media, leading digital campaigns like #CleanTheAltar and #OccupyTheChurch, which challenged the presence of politicians — particularly President Ruto — in places of worship.

His final post on X (formerly Twitter) at 6:56 p.m. Wednesday accused top Kenyan officials — including President Ruto, Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, and DCI Director Mohamed Amin — of criminal activity.

“I have reported some criminals to Fichua kwa DCI… I suggest you do the same,” he wrote, attaching a screenshot labelling the officials as “criminals.”

Shortly after that post, he vanished.

According to relatives, his phone was turned off minutes later. “This feels like history repeating itself,” said Yusuf Omar, another outspoken Kenyan social media user. “Should we prepare for our hearts to be broken again?”

Family members say Mwagodi had gone shopping from his workplace at Amani Beach Hotel in Kigamboni, a quiet stretch of Dar es Salaam’s coast, and never returned. When his employer tried to file a missing person report, Tanzanian police declined, insisting 24 hours had to elapse.

Rights groups say such delays are common in cases involving security agencies. “A Kenyan has been abducted in Tanzania. Again,” said Hussein Khalid. “It seems President Suluhu and her government are working around the clock to target Kenyan activists.”

Khalid called the incident a textbook case of enforced disappearance — a tactic increasingly used against critics of state power. “The pattern is chillingly familiar,” he said. “Activists being silenced for speaking truth to power.”

Kenya is already grappling with a surge in abductions. Since June 2024, at least 82 cases have been reported, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. Nearly 30 individuals — many of them critics of the Ruto administration — remain missing.

Victims are typically abducted by plainclothes men or paramilitary-style units, shoved into unmarked vehicles, blindfolded, and held without communication. Some are dumped far from where they were taken. Others are never seen again. In nearly all cases, no arrests have been made, and authorities have failed to investigate.

The situation escalated during the anti-tax protests, where security agencies have been accused of using enforced disappearances to stifle dissent. International organisations, including the United Nations and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, have condemned Kenya’s failure to protect civil liberties.

Now, the cross-border trend is drawing alarm.

Human rights groups fear that Kenya’s security agencies are working with their regional counterparts to abduct dissidents abroad — a tactic reminiscent of Cold War-era regimes and now making a comeback in East Africa.

Mwagodi’s case, they warn, is not isolated.

His social media presence made him a key figure in Kenya’s youth-led digital activism. Earlier this year, he led calls urging churches to reject political donations. During the #CleanTheAltar campaign, he publicly warned religious leaders against hosting politicians. One of his targets was Reverend Simon Mutahi, who had invited First Lady Rachel Ruto to a fundraiser.

“First of all, the money is looted from the taxes I pay to this government of looters,” Mwagodi wrote in a message to the church.

Reverend Mutahi later responded: “Good evening, Mwabili. Thank you for reaching out. Please note that the First Lady will not be attending the fundraiser. You are welcome to worship with us. Blessed night.”

Such confrontations — blending spiritual defiance with political critique — earned Mwagodi both loyal followers and powerful enemies.

By Thursday, neither the Kenyan nor Tanzanian governments had issued a statement. In Nairobi, activists launched the hashtag #FreeMwabiliMwagodi, demanding answers and international intervention.

“Guys, Mwabili is missing! Abducted by Samia’s government — this is scary to even think about. Let’s pray and SHOUT for his release!” posted user @Nyandia_G.

Others directly accused Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan of collaborating with Ruto’s administration. “Mwabili Mwagodi abducted in Tanzania. @SuluhuSamia is working with Ruto’s rogue regime,” tweeted @PropesaTV. “Dear Suluhu, we want Mwabili Mwagodi back home,” another user wrote.

Vocal Africa and other civil society organisations have urged Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and the Tanzanian High Commission in Nairobi to intervene.

As silence from both capitals continues, so does the anguish of his family.

“It’s not like him to go quiet,” a relative said. “He was always loud — always posting.”