NAIROBI,
Kenya
—
Kenyan
authorities
have
expelled
Zimbabwean
constitutional
lawyer
and
civic
activist
Brian
Bright
Kagoro,
accusing
him
of
involvement
in
a
foreign-backed
scheme
to
foment
political
unrest
through
organised
protests.
Kagoro,
the
managing
director
of
programmes
at
the
Open
Society
Foundations
(OSF)
Africa,
was
declared
persona
non
grata
and
deported
late
Sunday
after
being
detained
and
questioned
for
several
hours
by
immigration
and
security
officials.
He
was
escorted
out
of
the
country
via
Jomo
Kenyatta
International
Airport,
officials
confirmed.
Security
agencies
say
the
decision
followed
a
months-long
investigation
into
what
they
allege
was
a
coordinated
effort
to
mobilise
political
dissent
in
Kenya,
exploiting
economic
pressures
and
youth
activism.
Kenya’s
Capital
FM,
citing
officials
who
spoke
on
condition
of
anonymity
because
they
were
not
authorised
to
brief
the
media,
reported
that
Kagoro
made
several
trips
to
Nairobi
in
2025
and
allegedly
undertook
to
help
raise
approximately
US$1.2
million
to
support
activist
networks
in
the
country.
Authorities
claim
the
funds
were
intended
to
reignite
the
youth-led
protests
that
rocked
Kenya
in
2024,
forcing
the
government
to
abandon
proposed
tax
increases
and
triggering
weeks
of
nationwide
demonstrations.
The
protests
were
largely
organised
through
social
media
platforms.
Organisers
of
those
demonstrations
have
consistently
denied
receiving
foreign
funding,
insisting
the
movement
was
grassroots-driven.
A
senior
security
official
said
intelligence
gathered
over
six
months
pointed
to
what
authorities
believe
was
a
deliberate
strategy
to
manufacture
unrest.
“We
have
evidence,
gathered
painstakingly
over
the
last
six
months,
that
indicates
a
calculated
attempt
to
engineer
civil
disorder,”
the
official
said.
The
government
has
warned
that
foreign
nationals
suspected
of
interfering
in
Kenya’s
internal
political
processes
will
be
denied
entry,
closely
monitored,
or
expelled.
During
questioning,
Kagoro
reportedly
rejected
the
allegations,
telling
investigators
that
his
visit
to
Kenya
was
for
personal
reasons
and
professional
engagements.
He
said
he
had
travelled
to
attend
a
family
event
and
participate
in
a
conference
focused
on
critical
minerals
and
artificial
intelligence.
While
acknowledging
long-standing
relationships
with
Kenyan
civil
society
organisations,
Kagoro
denied
coordinating
protests
or
financing
political
activity,
Capital
FM
reported.
Security
agencies
nevertheless
allege
that
some
of
his
public
engagements
–
including
appearances
at
a
judiciary
accountability
forum
and
a
technology
innovation
event
–
were
used
to
broaden
activist
networks.
Investigators
also
cited
Kagoro’s
connections
to
the
Open
Society
Foundations,
an
international
philanthropic
organisation
that
has
faced
criticism
from
some
Kenyan
political
leaders,
who
accuse
foreign
donors
of
meddling
in
domestic
politics.
Kagoro
is
a
co-founder
of
the
Crisis
in
Zimbabwe
Coalition
and
has
spent
nearly
two
decades
working
in
Nairobi,
where
he
became
a
prominent
figure
within
regional
governance,
democracy,
and
civic
advocacy
circles.
Supporters
describe
him
as
a
seasoned
strategist
and
mentor
to
civic
movements
across
Africa.
Security
officials
further
claimed
Kagoro
participated
in
encrypted
messaging
platforms
and
is
being
examined
for
possible
links
to
election-related
unrest
in
Tanzania,
though
no
evidence
supporting
those
allegations
has
been
made
public.