The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has strongly condemned what it terms a cross-border crackdown on activists, following the alleged abduction and forced disappearance of Kenyan national Mwabili Mwagodi by Tanzanian authorities in Dar es Salaam.

In a statement released Saturday, the commission said Mwagodi, an activist working in Tanzania’s hospitality sector, was taken on Wednesday under unclear circumstances, with both the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments remaining “ominously silent” about his whereabouts.

KHRC linked Mwagodi’s disappearance to his previous involvement in anti-government protests in Kenya, notably a June 23, 2024, demonstration in Nyahururu.

"On June 23, 2024, Mwagodi led a demonstration against the William Ruto regime during a church service in Nyahururu, Laikipia," said the Commission.

The rights group claims that Mwagodi was placed under surveillance and that his family in Kenya was later harassed by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

"In retaliation, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations visited Mwagodi's parents, issuing threats and intimidation in an apparent attempt to silence him and break his spirit through fear and familial pressure," it says.

“This oppressive alliance between Kenya and Tanzania to crush dissent is deliberate, coordinated, and criminal."

The commission also cited a recent case involving activist Boniface Mwangi, who was reportedly abducted, tortured, and sexually assaulted by Tanzanian operatives, allegedly with Kenyan knowledge.

Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire also faced mistreatment during the same trip, which was intended to observe opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s court proceedings in Tanzania.

KHRC now demands Mwagodi’s immediate and unconditional release, full disclosure of his current condition and location, and access to legal representation and his family.

The watchdog further called for independent investigations into threats against his family and international scrutiny of what it calls cross-border human rights violations.

“This pattern of repression enabled by state collusion is a grave breach of domestic and international law,” the statement read.

There has been no official comment yet from the Kenyan or Tanzanian governments regarding the allegations.

Earlier on Friday, Mwabili's family called on the governments of Kenya and Tanzania to urgently explain his whereabouts.

According to his sister Isabella Kituri, Mwabili was reportedly abducted by unidentified people on Wednesday, July 23, while travelling to Dar es Salaam.

The family says no official communication has been made about his condition or location, sparking fears of a possible enforced disappearance.