Kenyan human rights activist Mwabili Mwagodi has revealed disturbing details of his recent abduction in Tanzania, where he was held incommunicado for four days before being dumped in a forested area in Kinondo, Kwale County.
Speaking to the press outside the Central Police Station in Mombasa, Mwagodi described the terrifying experience following his failed attempt to record an official statement. Police at the station reportedly declined to enter the complaint into the Occurrence Book (OB), citing lack of jurisdiction because the abduction occurred outside their area.
Mwagodi, who had been working legally in Tanzania, said he was abducted on July 23 by four unidentified men who confiscated his identification documents. He was blindfolded, handcuffed, and taken to an unknown location, where he was interrogated throughout the night.
“They held me in a private house under armed guard. I was locked in a bedroom, cuffed day and night. The only time the handcuffs were removed was during meals,” he recounted. He added that his two phones and laptop were seized, and he was later driven back to Kenya and dumped in a thicket.
Following the ordeal, Mwagodi received medical treatment for five days at a Mombasa hospital. He was accompanied to the police station by relatives, his lawyer, and fellow activists, who condemned the authorities for failing to register his complaint.
The incident has sparked renewed concern among human rights groups over cross-border crackdowns on dissent and the growing risks faced by activists in the region. Kenyan authorities have yet to issue an official response.
Written By Rodney Mbua
