Mwabili's family says police warned them before his disappearance

Kenyan Activist Mwambili Mwagodi. [File, Courtesy] Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi, popularly known as TL Elder on X, has been reported missing in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. According to a message shared by his sister, Mwagodi disappeared on the night of Wednesday, July 23, in Dar es Salaam, where he had been working at Amani Beach Hotel in Kigamboni. The family says that in 2024, individuals believed to be officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) visited their home and issued warnings over his activism. The officers allegedly urged them to convince Mwagodi to tone down his criticism of the government, warning that there would be dire consequences if their message was ignored. According to VOCAL Africa Rapid Response Officer Odhiambo Ojiro, Mwagodi had previously reported suspicious visits by unidentified individuals at his workplace who posed as clients and insisted on seeing him. "Our fellow activist had said that the Kenyan security agencies were after him. His mother has also told us of a time, last year, when DCI officers visited her home and told her to warn her son against activism," said Ojiro. "The family has also informed us of unidentified people, believed to be the police, who have been visiting Mwabili's workplace in Tanzania posing as clients and insisting to see him to say thank you for discounts." Mwagodi went missing after leaving his house for work. VOCAL Africa CEO Khalid confirmed that he was last seen returning to the hotel with a driver when they were intercepted by a four-wheel drive vehicle. Unknown men reportedly 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. Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, activists, joined by Mwagodi's family, accused the governments of Kenya and Tanzania of colluding to silence dissent. "It is evident that the Kenyan government, through the security agencies, were involved in abducting our brother. They colluded with the Tanzanian authorities," Ojiro claimed. He further said: "The government of Kenya should not mistreat Kenyans within the country, abduct them, shoot them, disappear them, and still track them across the borders. This must come to an end." Human rights defenders are now calling on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage Tanzanian authorities to help trace Mwagodi's whereabouts and ensure his safe return. "He should be taken to the police, or arraigned in court for the law to take its course. Enforced disappearances are not the way for Kenya and Tanzania where he was taken. Mama Samia, do you see what is happening? Why do leaders allow this to happen?" asked journalist Isabella Kituri, Mwagodi's sister. Mwagodi's disappearance has sparked concern among activists, who say it highlights a growing cross-border crackdown on government critics in the East African region.

Mwabili's family says police warned them before his disappearance

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Mwabili's family says police warned them before his disappearance

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