Kenya Expels Zimbabwean Lawyer Brian Kagoro Over Alleged Role In Funding Protests

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 25 — Kenya has expelled Zimbabwean constitutional lawyer and civic advocate Brian Bright Kagoro, alleging he was involved in an externally financed effort to trigger political unrest through organised protests.

Immigration officials declared Kagoro persona non grata and escorted him out of the country via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport late Sunday after subjecting him to several hours of questioning.

Security officials said the decision followed months of investigations linking Kagoro to what they described as an elaborate political mobilisation framework allegedly supported by foreign donors.

According to security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, Kagoro made multiple trips to Nairobi in 2025 and reportedly committed to mobilising about $1.2 million to fund activist activities in Kenya.

Authorities claim the alleged funding was intended to exploit economic discontent and revive the youth-led demonstrations that shook the government in 2024.

Those protests, largely coordinated through social media, forced the administration to withdraw proposed tax measures and triggered weeks of unrest across the country.

Protest organisers have consistently maintained that the demonstrations were grassroots-driven and not influenced by external actors.

A senior security official said intelligence gathered over six months pointed to what authorities believe was a calculated effort to fuel civil unrest.

“We have evidence, gathered painstakingly over the last six months, establishing a deliberate strategy to manufacture civil unrest,” the official said.

Denial

Officials added that foreign nationals suspected of political interference would be barred from entry, closely monitored, or removed from the country.

Kagoro reportedly dismissed the allegations during questioning, stating he had travelled to Kenya to attend a family event and participate in a conference on critical minerals and artificial intelligence.

While acknowledging ties with Kenyan civil society actors, he denied coordinating or financing protest activity.

Security agencies also alleged that some of his public engagements, including attendance at a judiciary accountability forum and a technology innovation event, served as opportunities to expand activist networks.

Investigators further pointed to his links with the Open Society Foundations, an international philanthropic organisation that has previously drawn criticism from some Kenyan political leaders who accuse foreign donors of interfering in domestic political affairs.

Kagoro is a co-founder of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and has spent nearly two decades working in Nairobi, where he became influential within regional governance and democracy networks.

Supporters describe him as a prominent strategist and mentor in civic movements, while critics argue that such behind-the-scenes influence lacks transparency.

Security officials also alleged that Kagoro participated in encrypted communication groups and is being scrutinised over possible links to election-related unrest in Tanzania, although no specific evidence has been publicly disclosed.