Missing Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi, who went missing in Tanzania on Wednesday, has finally been found dumped on the Kenyan coast.
Confirming the news, human rights defender and Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid confirmed that Mwagodi was dropped in a bush in Kinondo, Kwale County, in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Reportedly, upon being dropped in Kwale, he contacted his family and took himself to the police in Diani, where they tried to detain him; however, the intervention of Vocal Africa led to his release.
He is currently at a hospital in Mombasa for a check-up before he can reunite with his family in Nairobi.
"Mwabili has been released and is present with our VOCALAfrica and MUHURI Kenya officers in Mombasa. Mwabili was dropped in a bush in Kinondo, Kwale County, around 3am, where he walked for about 3kms to Diani. While in Diani, he managed to call his family, who alerted us, and we sent our officers immediately," he stated.
"While in Diani, Mwabili voluntarily took himself to the police station, but to everyone’s surprise, the police wanted to detain him. Our officers intervened, and he was released. Presently, Mwabili has been rushed to Pandya Hospital, Mombasa, for a quick medical check-up, after which he will be put on a flight to Nairobi to reunite with his family."
Speaking to The Standard after his release, Mwagodi confirmed that three Kenyan police officers had been involved in his exchange with Tanzanian authorities at the Lunga Lunga border.
Besides being held and tortured for the four days he was missing, Mwagodi, who works in Tanzania, revealed that the authorities had confiscated several items belonging to him, including his work permit.
His three phones, one laptop, a belt, his passport, and his yellow fever vaccination book were also confiscated.
In images shared after his release, Mwagodi was seen in a wheelchair and also at the Pandya Hospital premises, where he is receiving treatment before he can fly back to Nairobi.
His release comes just days after his family, led by his sister, Isabella Kituri, recounted how they had learnt of his disappearance, demanding that the Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities release their kin.
Before his alleged abduction, Mwagodi had become a vocal critic of President William Ruto’s church fundraising missions and had mobilised Gen Z movements through his social media platforms.
