Nairobi, 27th July 2025. The Police Reforms Working Group–Kenya (PRWG-K) strongly condemns the enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, and continued harassment of Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi, as well as the lackluster response from Kenyan authorities, whose agencies, including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), met his family’s pleas for assistance with indifference and institutional apathy.
Mwabili, known for his bold stand against the current regime and his activism under the #OccupyChurch movement, has consistently spoken out against bad governance, corruption, and political interference in religious institutions. His ordeal speaks volumes about the shrinking space for civic engagement in Kenya and the East African region.
He was abducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 23 July 2025 and later abandoned in a bush in Kinondo, Kwale County, around 3 a.m. on 27 July 2025. Exhausted and traumatized, he walked three kilometers to Diani where he voluntarily reported to Diani Police Station. The police threatened to arrest and detain him, further deepening his trauma instead of offering the protection he expected.
This appalling treatment highlights a continuous pattern of police abuse and impunity. The Constitution of Kenya, under Article 244, mandates the National Police Service to operate professionally and to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The National Police Service Act and the Prevention of Torture Act, 2012, further affirm that police officers must uphold integrity, avoid torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and ensure the safety and dignity of every person. These laws are not optional; they are binding obligations that law enforcement must uphold without exception.
We therefore issue the following demands:
- Immediate public acknowledgment and apology from the National Police Servic for the harassment of Mwabili Mwagodi at Diani Police Station.
- A transparent and independent investigation into the officers’ conduct, with disciplinary action where necessary.
- A formal statement from the Government of Kenya outlining measures to protect human rights defenders from unlawful detention, cross-border targeting, and enforced disappearances.
- A joint commitment by the Governments of Kenya and Tanzania to end incommunicado detentions and suppression of peaceful civic dissent.
Mwabili’s case is not unique. It reflects a growing disregard for constitutional rights and a dangerous tolerance for transnational repression. It also underscores the failure of law enforcement to serve and protect those most vulnerable to state abuse.
PRWG-K stands in firm solidarity with Mwabili, his family, and all defenders of human rights and civic space. The role of the police is to protect and serve, not to punish. We call on authorities in both Kenya and Tanzania to act now, before impunity becomes the norm and justice becomes the exception.
This statement is signed by the Police Reforms Working Group, an alliance of national and grassroots organizations committed to professional, accountable, and human rights-compliant policing. They include: Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), Kariobangi Paralegal Network, Katiba Institute, Defenders Coalition, Social Justice Centres Working Group (SJCW), Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya), International Justice Mission (IJM-K), HAKI Africa, Amnesty International Kenya, Women Empowerment Link, Social Welfare Development Program (SOWED), Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA- Kenya), International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ – Kenya), Transparency International Kenya, Shield For justice, Wangu Kanja Foundation, Constitution and Reform Education Consortium (CRECO), Kenyans for Peace, Truth and Justice (KPTJ) and Peace Brigades International Kenya (PBI Kenya).
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