Mwabili Mwagodi: KHRC Claims DCI Issued Threats to Family of Activist Allegedly Abducted in Tanzania
- Vocal activist Mwabili Mwagodi went missing on Wednesday, July 23, after he was allegedly abducted in Tanzania
- Mwagodi's family has expressed worry about the well-being of their loved one, especially because he led campaigns against President William Ruto
- In a statement, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has alleged that DCI detectives visited Mwagodi's family and threatened them
Faith Chandianya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and Current Affairs in Kenya
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has broken its silence over the alleged abduction of vocal activist Mwabili Mwagodi in Tanzania.
Source: Twitter
Mwagodi, who was popularly known for criticising President William Ruto's exorbitant church donations, went missing on Wednesday, July 23.
In a statement dated Saturday, July 26, seen by TUKO.co.ke, the KHRC stated that Mwagodi's family claimed that their kin was under state surveillance in Kenya before he went missing.
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"Mwagodi was under state surveillance in Kenya before his abduction after he exercised his constitutional right to protest. On June 23, 2024, Mwagodi led a demonstration against the William Ruto regime during a church service in Nyahururu, Laikipia," the KHRC statement read in part.
Did DCI threaten Mwagodi's family?
The organisation further stated that the DCI visited Mwagodi's family after he participated in the protests.
In an alleged move to threaten and intimidate them, the investigative unit visited the family.
Source: Twitter
Following this, the KHRC called out the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments and accused them of using brutal state machinery to crush activists.
They further called for the immediate release of Mwagodi as his whereabouts remain unknown to his loved ones.
"KHRC condemns cross-border crackdown, demands immediate release of Mwagodi. Kenya-Tanzanian authorities in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday abducted and forcibly disappeared Mwabili Mwagodi, a Kenyan activist working in the country's hotel sector," the organisation added.
"This pattern of repression, enabled by cross-border collusion, is a grave violation of local, regional, and international human rights law."
What demands did KHRC issue to govt
The KHRC has issued four demands to the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments following Mwagod's alleged abduction, including;
- An end to Kenya's tolerance of cross-border abductions, forced disappearance and torture.
- A thorough investigation into the alleged threats made against Mwagodi's family by the DCI
- Regional and international accountability for Kenya and Tanzania's repressive actions.
- The immediate and unconditional release of he vocal activist.
- The Kenyan and Tanzanian governments should give a full disclosure of Mwagodi's exact whereabouts and his physical and mental condition.
- Lastly, Mwagodi's family and lawyer should be allowed to access him.
Mwagodi's last social media post
Before his disappearance, Mwagodi had posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account criticising the Kenya Kwanza regime.
The activist accused the head of state of denying high school learners their right to education through the reduction of capitation funds.
He claimed that the move would cause Kenya to descend into anarchy.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
