How Kenyan security agents trailed Mwagodi in Tanzania

Details have now emerged that activist Mwabili Mwagodi could have been trailed by Kenyan security agents, leading to his abduction.

Further disturbing is the revelation that Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers visited Mwagodi’s parents and asked them to caution their son to keep off the Gen Z protests.

Mwagodi, an outspoken critic of President William Ruto’s administration,  went missing on the night of July 23 in Dar es Salaam. Witnesses claim men driving a Tanzanian-registered vehicle stopped Mwagodi and his driver, then bundled him into their car.

“They grabbed him and bundled him into the vehicle and drove away. There was a CCTV at a nearby butchery, but police took away the footage,” claimed Hussein Khalid, executive director of VOCAL Africa, citing a local businessman.

It is emerging that detectives posing as customers reportedly visited the hotel where Mwagodi worked in Dar es Salaam, asking for him by name and insisting on a face-to-face meeting.

Human rights organisations say the individuals believed to be Kenyan security agents had visited the hotel on several occasions, pretending to be guests.

Odhiambo Ojiro, the rapid response officer at VOCAL Africa, said the individuals reportedly booked rooms and requested to meet Mwagodi under the pretext of thanking him for discounts.

“Our fellow activists said the Kenyan security agents were after him. His mother also confirmed that DCI officers had visited their home in 2024 and warned her to tell him to stop activism,” said Ojiro.

On Friday, his sister Isabella Kituri recalled an incident in October last year when her parents received guests.

“My parents received visitors who identified themselves as DCI officers. They warned them that Mwagodi should cool off matters related to Gen Z protests. They warned, ‘‘Mama, msije mkaweka hema hapa’’(Mother, don’t set up a tent here),” Kituri told journalists.

The new details now show that Kenyan security agencies appear to have orchestrated a coordinated surveillance operation, combining traditional intimidation and modern tracking tools, to pin Mwagodi.

In his post on X last month, Mwagodi said: “Kenya is slowly descending into anarchy. Children in high schools are being denied basic needs by President Ruto, who refuses to send capitation money, and they are revolting every single day. Ruto’s plan is to drive Kenya into chaos, violence, mass murder and a genocide.”

His disappearance weeks later now adds to a growing list of suspected abductions targeting political dissidents.

Since June 2024, more than 80 abductions have been reported across the country. Rights groups say at least 29 victims remain missing.

Family lawyer, Njanja Maina, added that a report had already been made in Tanzania and that they want police to take a statement so they could escalate the matter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We do not know his condition, his status, or how he is. Why do we have diplomatic relations with other countries if such matters cannot be resolved?” Maina said, adding, “The family is being shifted from Kilimani to Kileleshwa Police Stations to DCI headquarters.”

Human rights groups have raised concerns over what they describe as a pattern of cross-border surveillance and intimidation directed at Kenyans involved in recent Gen Z protests. 

Known online as TL Elder, Mwagodi had gained a following during the Gen Z-led protests last year. 

Mwagodi had gained a following during the Gen Z-led protests that began in mid-2024, where young people criticised the Finance Bill, government spending, and police brutality.

His posts regularly condemned government corruption and the use of force against demonstrators.

“I used to fight for the Kenyan church to liberate it from political thugs and corruption. I stopped. I came back to fight the Church. ACK Church member,” Mwagodi stated.

Despite relocating to Tanzania for work in early 2025, Mwagodi remained vocal online.

He frequently posted criticism of the Kenyan government and expressed support for arrested protesters. His increased visibility during the Finance Bill protests is believed to have drawn more attention from authorities.

“He reduced his public appearances but never stopped posting online. He was consistent in defending victims of police brutality,” said Ojiro.