Human rights activist Mwabili Mwagodi has accused Kenyan authorities of denying him justice after allegedly being abducted in Tanzania and later dumped in Kwale County. Speaking at the Central Police Station in Mombasa, Mwagodi said police officers refused to issue him an Occurrence Book (OB) number, effectively preventing him from formally reporting the harrowing incident.
Mwagodi, who was accompanied by family members and fellow human rights defenders, claimed his life is in danger following his recent criticism of both the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments. He alleged that State agents are trailing him and other activists in what appears to be a coordinated crackdown on dissent.
“There’s a clear intention to eliminate people like me,” Mwagodi said. “I don’t want anyone to go through what I did. I am here, seeking justice in my own country, and I’ve been denied the chance to even write an OB. I now have to rely solely on my lawyers for the next step.”
According to Mwagodi, Tanzanian operatives abducted him and warned him to be careful and avoid confrontation until after Kenya’s 2027 elections. “‘Be careful, protect yourself, tujaribu tufike’ this was the advice I received from spies from the neighbouring country,” he revealed.
Human rights organisations in Mombasa have strongly condemned the refusal by police to accept Mwagodi’s statement. Khelef Khalifa, Director of the rights group MUHURI, accused Kenyan authorities of working with Tanzanian security agencies to target activists.
“This shows there’s a connection between Kenya and Tanzania security. It is something we suspected but now it’s clear—human rights activists are being arrested and tortured. The things they can’t do here, they use the Tanzanian forces to do them,” Khalifa said.
Rights groups are now demanding an independent investigation into the alleged abduction and the refusal by police to act. They argue that the Kenyan government must be held accountable for protecting all its citizens, regardless of their political views. The silence and inaction, they warn, only embolden cross-border human rights violations.
