Lobby groups demand immediate release of activist Mwabili Mwagodi

Activist Mwabili Mwagodi. [File, Standard]

Human rights organisations have condemned the abduction and disappearance of Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi in Tanzania, terming the incident a grave violation of regional and international human rights law.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said Mwagodi, who was abducted on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam, remains missing, with both Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities silent on his whereabouts.

"Tanzanian authorities in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday abducted and forcibly disappeared Mwabili Mwagodi, a Kenyan activist working in the country's hotel sector. His whereabouts remain unknown," KHRC said in a statement.

According to the lobby, Mwagodi was under surveillance by Kenyan authorities before his abduction, following a protest he led on June 23, 2024, against President William Ruto's regime in Nyahururu, Laikipia. KHRC claims Mwagodi's parents were later visited and intimidated by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in what appeared to be an attempt to silence the activist.

"Kenya's oppressive alliance with Tanzania in the use of brutal state machinery to crush activists is deliberate, coordinated, and criminal. These are the hallmarks of an authoritarian regime that has lost the legitimacy to govern," the KHRC said.

The group also linked Mwagodi's case to a similar incident involving activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire, who were allegedly abducted and tortured in Tanzania two months ago while observing the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

Calling the incidents a "pattern of repression enabled by cross-border collusion," KHRC demanded Mwagodi's immediate and unconditional release, full disclosure of his whereabouts and condition, and independent investigations into threats made against his family.

Amnesty International echoed the concerns, expressing deep alarm over Mwagodi's disappearance and calling for urgent action from both governments.

"Amnesty International is deeply alarmed by the reported abduction and disappearance of Kenyan human rights activist Mwabili Mwagodi in Tanzania," the rights group said in a separate statement, noting that eyewitnesses confirmed he was taken by unknown persons while working in Dar es Salaam.

The group said all efforts by Mwagodi's family to reach him had failed and linked the incident to a broader trend of cross-border repression.

"This incident follows a disturbing pattern of cross-border repression of activists in East Africa," the statement read.

Amnesty International called on Kenya and Tanzania to immediately disclose Mwagodi's whereabouts, ensure his safety, and commence transparent investigations. It also urged both countries to uphold human rights obligations and end the harassment of defenders across the region.

"Mwabili Mwagodi's activism is not a crime. His disappearance, however, is. As a grave violation of human rights, it must be addressed with urgency and accountability," said Irungu Houghton, Section Director at Amnesty International Kenya.