The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has reportedly declared its inability to intervene in the case of Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi, who was allegedly abducted in Tanzania.
Mwagodi, known for his online activism, was seized by unknown individuals on Wednesday, July 23, in Dar es Salaam, according to a report by Amnesty-Kenya.
At the time of his alleged abduction, he had been residing partly in Tanzania, working for a hospitality company, and has not been reachable since.
His family and colleagues have tirelessly sought clarity on his whereabouts, but the DCI has cited jurisdictional limitations as the reason for not taking up the case.
Mwagodi gained prominence for his vocal criticism against churches accepting donations from politicians, notably launching the "Occupy the Church" campaign aimed at addressing questionable practices among some preachers.
On Saturday, July 26, Hussein Khalid, the CEO of Vocal Africa and a fellow human rights defender, said they had gone to the DCI offices with Mwagodi’s family to request the agency’s intervention.
According to Khalid, the DCI declined to intervene, stating the case was outside their legal powers.
“Today, VOCAL Africa accompanied the family of Mwabili to the DCI Kenya to officially ask them to intervene in his matter. So the DCI refused to take up Mwabili’s matter, citing that the matter does not fall within their jurisdiction. Besides the DCI, we have also reported the matter to the police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Khalid said.
Mwagodi's abduction has raised concerns among human rights organizations. Amnesty International on July 26, in a separate statement, stated that it was deeply alarmed by the incident, describing it as part of a growing pattern of repression of activists in East Africa.
Amnesty called on the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments to urgently disclose Mwagodi’s whereabouts and launch a transparent investigation.
It urged the government to stop the harassment of activists and uphold international human rights obligations.
"The safety of human rights defenders must be addressed with urgency and accountability. Amnesty International stands with Mwabili’s family, colleagues, and all those acting for justice and human rights in East Africa," part of the statement reads.
Mwagodi’s case follows similar incidents in Tanzania, including the recent reported abductions of Kenyan photojournalist and activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire. Their case is now before the East African Court of Justice.
