Nairobi — Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi, a leading critic of President William Ruto’s church fundraising spree, has been reported missing in Dar es Salaam beneath circumstances that rights teams dispute point to a that chances are you’ll presumably well maybe presumably think of abduction.
Mwagodi — a vocal online activist and outspoken critic of church-basically based political fundraising activities — went missing on Wednesday night time.
He modified into once final viewed in Kigamboni, where he works at Amani Seaside Resort.
Hussein Khalid, CEO of Vocal Africa, a human rights group, stated the disappearance bears the hallmarks of an enforced disappearance and accused the Tanzanian government of targeting Kenyan activists.
“A Kenyan has been abducted in Tanzania. Again,” Khalid stated in an announcement Friday.
“Family has confirmed that Mwabili Mwagodi, who is a Kenyan activist and was vocal against church donations, was abducted in Tanzania on Wednesday. It seems President Suluhu Samia and her government are working round the clock to target Kenyan activists.”
A screenshot shared by Khalid included a distress message reportedly from Mwagodi’s sister, Isabella Kituri, indicating that efforts by his employer to file a missing person’s file had been deferred by native police except the 24-hour tag had passed.
“His employer went to report a missing person case this evening but was told they must wait until it’s 24 hours,” the message read in segment.
“We are worried because he was at the front line of blocking Ruto’s church fundraising missions and has been quite vocal mobilizing Gen Z on social media.”
Spammed DCI
In his final social media put up on Wednesday — the identical day the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) unveiled its revamped name middle, including a dedicated WhatsApp amount for reporting crime — Mwagodi modified into once amongst Kenyans who spammed the platform.
“I have reported some criminals to Fichua kwa DCI… I suggest you do the same,” he wrote on his X myth at 6.56 pm, attaching a screenshot featuring images of Deputy Inspector Widespread Eliud Lagat, DCI Director Mohamed Amin, and President Ruto, whom he labeled as “criminals.”
It remains unclear whether or now no longer his disappearance is linked to that put up.
Mwagodi gained prominence for organizing online campaigns opposing political fundraising in places of like, in particular these involving President Ruto.
His “Occupy Church Movement” marketing campaign forced some churches to reject donations from politicians due to the public pressure.
His social media activities accept as true with made him a prominent determine in Kenya’s Gen Z-led digital activism lope.
As of Friday morning, Tanzanian authorities had now no longer issued an announcement regarding Mwagodi’s disappearance.
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Human rights organizations throughout East Africa are calling for instant investigations and for the Tanzanian government to myth for Mwagodi’s whereabouts.
VOCAL Africa and other rights defenders accept as true with instructed both the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and the Tanzanian Excessive Payment in Nairobi to intervene urgently.
Here is now no longer the first time activists accept as true with raised considerations over infamous-border intimidation.
His surprising disappearance follows a growing pattern of regional exertion in regards to the safety of dissidents and critics operating throughout East Africa’s borders.
Mwagodi’s family, chums, and supporters accept as true with taken to social media beneath the hashtag #FreeMwabiliMwagodi to assign a question to answers and coordinate efforts to stumble on him.
