A coalition of civil society organisations has condemned what it terms the enforced disappearance, harassment, and incommunicado detention of Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi, accusing law enforcement of complicity and neglect.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Reforms Working Group-Kenya (PRWG-K), Mwagodi was kidnapped in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on July 23 and then abandoned in a forested area in Kinondo, Kwale County, around 3 a.m. on July 27.
Disoriented and exhausted, he reportedly walked several kilometers to Diani Police Station to seek help, only to be met with threats of arrest by police officers.
Mwagodi, known for his outspoken role in the #OccupyChurch movement, has frequently criticized government corruption and what he describes as creeping political control over religious spaces.
His ordeal, according to PRWG-K, is a chilling reflection of the shrinking civic space and growing repression across the East African region.
“The indifference and institutional apathy shown by agencies such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), even as his family pleaded for help, reveal a disturbing pattern,” the group said.
According to the statement, the activist’s treatment violates a number of legal frameworks, including Article 244 of the Constitution, which requires police to uphold human rights and dignity
The group also cited the National Police Service Act and the Prevention of Torture Act, 2012, warning that such actions erode public trust in law enforcement.
PRWG-K issued four key demands: an official apology from the National Police Service, an independent investigation into the conduct of Diani-based officers, a formal government position on protecting civic actors, and a joint commitment from the governments of Kenya and Tanzania to end cross-border targeting of activists.
“Mwabili’s case is not unique,” the coalition noted. “It illustrates a growing disregard for constitutional protections and a dangerous normalization of transnational repression.”
The statement was signed by over 20 human rights organisations, including Amnesty International Kenya, HAKI Africa, Katiba Institute, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, Transparency International Kenya, FIDA-Kenya, and the International Justice Mission, among others.
“The role of police is to protect, not punish,” the coalition said. “The time to act is now—before impunity becomes the norm, and justice the exception.”
