Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi reported missing in Tanzania

A Kenyan activist, Mwabili Mwagodi, popularly known on X as TL elder, has been reported missing in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

According to a message shared by his sister, 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,” a message sent to human rights activist Hussein Khalid read.  

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

The VOCAL Africa CEO confirmed that 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 a CCTV from a nearby butchery…before they could get a copy, the police came and took it away,” claimed Khalid.

He added that Mwabili had avoided politics while working in Tanzania and was only active while in Nairobi, suggesting that Kenyan activists are being targeted in the neighboring country.

Mwagodi is a known critic of the President William Ruto-led administration, having led several protests since last year.

Before turning to digital activism, Mwagodi traveled from Mombasa to Nyahururu to lead Gen Z protests outside a church ceremony attended by President Ruto.

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

Apart from succeeding in cancelling church fundraisers by politicians who were 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 is seen to have lashed out over the frustration that ODM Secretary-General, Edwin Sifuna, was facing against supporters of the current regime.