Human rights activist Mwabili Mwagodi has claimed that authorities in Mombasa have refused to record his official statement regarding an alleged abduction he recently suffered.
“Now here I am seeking justice in my own country, and I have been denied the right to write an OB [Occurrence Book report]. Now I have to depend on my lawyers for the next course of action,” Mwabili said.
Accompanied by human rights activists and family members, Mwagodi expressed that his life is in danger, alleging that unknown individuals have been trailing him. He recounted receiving a warning from spies from a neighbouring country: “Be careful, protect yourself, let’s try to make it. They told me to be careful so that I can survive until 2027.”
Khelef Khalifa, the Director of Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), alleged that the Kenyan government is collaborating with its Tanzanian counterpart to silence critics.
“This shows there’s a connection between Kenyan and Tanzanian security. It’s something we suspected, but now it’s clear that human rights activists are arrested and subjected to torture. The things they can’t do here, they use the Tanzanian forces to do them,” he stated.
Mwabili, who was recently abducted in Tanzania and later found dumped in Kinondo, Kwale County, recounted the terrifying ordeal.
“I was living in Tanzania legally. On July 23rd, between 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM, I was kidnapped by four men. They took my documents, blindfolded me, and put me in a dark room where they interrogated me at night. They took me to my workplace, broke into the house, and took my phone and laptop. I was under the guard of two people, both with guns, and I was locked in a bedroom, blindfolded and with my hands in handcuffs,” he said.
Mwabili claimed his captors harassed him and repeatedly questioned him about “what his problem was with President William Ruto.” “We got to a point where I was interrogated with threats, and they told me to cooperate, or else they would beat me. The main thing they wanted to know was what problem I, Mwabili, had with President Ruto,” he narrated.
He said when he was released, he was disoriented and it took him many hours to regain consciousness. “After that, we drove and arrived somewhere near a forest. They beat me and stabbed me in the back, then they left. I stayed there for a while without being aware of my surroundings. Later, when I regained consciousness, I walked 3,000 steps before I found help,” Mwabili explained.
He also claimed there might have been collusion between his abductors and some police officers. “When I got to Diani Police Station, surprisingly, the DCIO was waiting for me. And at the same time, the OCPD also came,” he said in disbelief.
