NAIROBI, Kenya — Once hailed as East Africa’s democratic bright spot, Kenya is now facing growing scrutiny over a wave of violent crackdowns on protests and opposition voices. Rights groups and critics say the government is veering dangerously close to the tactics of its neighbours, Uganda and Tanzania both known for stifling dissent.
Over the past year, more than 80 Kenyans have reportedly been abducted by unidentified men, according to human rights monitors. Many believe these forced disappearances are part of a broader effort to intimidate critics and suppress protest.
The turning point came this month when at least 10 people were killed in nationwide protests against President William Ruto’s government. The demonstrations, largely driven by young people outraged by rising taxes and economic hardship, were met with what many called excessive force.
“Instead of a listening ear, they were met with razor wire, armoured trucks and the cold grip of repression,” The Standard, a leading Kenyan newspaper, wrote in a front-page editorial titled Rogue Regime.
But Kenya’s Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen told a different story. He described the protests as an attempted insurrection.
“We condemn the criminal anarchists who, in the name of peaceful demonstrations, unleashed violence, looting, sexual assault and destruction,” Murkomen said. He claimed that protesters attacked police stations and injured over 300 officers.
The Law Society of Kenya strongly disagrees. In a statement, it condemned the state’s response:
“The unnecessary aggression and brute force that led to senseless loss of life have no place in a free democratic society,” it said.
The government’s recent actions have alarmed many, especially following the death of 31-year-old blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody. He had been arrested for allegedly defaming a senior officer. An autopsy revealed he died from assault injuries.
His death sparked a small protest in Nairobi. Police responded swiftly and violently. A street vendor caught in the chaos was shot at close range and is now fighting for his life in hospital.
The public backlash was swift, but not unexpected. Kenya has long been viewed by neighbours in Uganda and Tanzania as a democratic model. Its vibrant media, independent judiciary, and history of peaceful power transitions stood in contrast to its neighbours’ authoritarian tendencies.
“There has always been an appreciation of Kenyans’ ability to speak truth to power,” said Tanzanian political analyst Nicodemus Minde.
Tanzania’s opposition leader Tundu Lissu, currently detained on treason charges, once praised Kenya’s political space as an example his country should follow.
“What Kenya did to build its democratic space is something we need to do,” Lissu told the BBC last year. He now faces the death penalty after rallying supporters under the slogan “No reform; no elections.”
Lissu’s Chadema party has been barred from participating in Tanzania’s upcoming October elections, a move critics say is designed to guarantee the ruling party, CCM, an easy win.
Uganda’s picture is no better. President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, and his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba head of the army are accused of targeting opponents ahead of the 2026 election. Opposition figure Kizza Besigye has been in custody since November and is also facing treason charges.
Besigye’s case stirred regional tensions when he was abducted in Nairobi during a book tour and resurfaced four days later in a Ugandan military court. Uganda claims the arrest was part of a joint cross-border operation with Kenya an assertion Nairobi first denied, then partially admitted.
Kenya’s Foreign Minister later said there were “certain issues” with Besigye’s visit but offered no detail, only adding, “He had to go.”
Just weeks later, exiled Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai said she was abducted by armed men in Nairobi who attempted to access her phone and social media accounts. She was later released.
“I’m sure the abduction was connected to my work exposing abuses in Tanzania,” she said.
Tsehai has been an outspoken critic of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took office in 2021 promising reform but is now accused of tightening the grip on civil freedoms.
In May, Tanzanian police detained Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire. Both say they were sexually assaulted while in custody. They had travelled to Tanzania to show solidarity with Lissu. President Samia denied the allegations and warned foreign activists not to “meddle.”
While most expected a strong response from Kenya, President Ruto instead offered an apology.
“To our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us,” Ruto said in a public address. “If there is anything that Kenyans have done that is not right, we want to apologise.”
That response angered rights groups and observers, who believe Kenya should have stood firm against abuses.
“Ruto’s apology shows pressure to keep activists in check not just for his sake, but for neighbouring regimes as well,” said Professor Macharia Munene, a Kenyan expert on international relations.
Martha Karua, a prominent Kenyan opposition leader and former justice minister, believes the region is facing not just a political challenge but a democratic crisis.
“We are staring at a regional crisis,” Karua said recently. “Not one of trade or economy, but of democracy itself.”
Activists like Mwangi say this moment demands unity among citizens, not silence.
“If these people are united in oppressing their citizens,” he said, “then we must be united in fighting to remove them from power.”
