A growing wave of political repression across East Africa is raising alarms among rights advocates and political observers, with Kenya now under scrutiny for using tactics long associated with its neighbors Uganda and Tanzania.
NAIROBI —In the past year, Kenyan government including police have come under criticism for responding to protests with brute force, drawing comparisons to the harsh crackdowns seen under Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Tanzania’s president Samia Suluhu Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.
Recent demonstrations in Kenya turned deadly, with police shooting and killing over 15 people injuring many others during nationwide protests geared to commemorate the anti finance bill 2024 protest which claimed over 60 lives outside parliament. The Gen -Z and Millennial backed protest decry lack of jobs for the youths ,lack of economic empowerment, high levels of corruption in the the UDA -Ruto administration. The demonstrations, largely driven by youth opposing current state of affairs citing “Ruto Must Go“, were met with armored vehicles, riot police, and restricted media coverage.
Despite public outcry, Interior Cabinet Secretary Minister Kipchumba Murkomen defended law enforcement, calling the protests an “attempted coup.” He accused protestors of “violence, looting, abusing freedom to picket and demonstrate, and destruction.” Murkomen claimed 300 officers were injured and public infrastructure damaged.
Kenya’s Law Society sharply rejected the government’s stance, describing the crackdown as “unnecessary aggression and brute force.” In a statement, the society said the state’s response towards recent protests had “no place in a free democratic society.”
The death of 31-year-old teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody weeks earlier had already triggered concerns about police conduct. An autopsy revealed he died from life threatening injuries sustained in police detention. Ojwang had been arrested for allegedly defaming a senior police official. His death led to Justice For Ojwang protests in Nairobi where police reportedly shot a mask vendor, Boniface Mwangi Kariuki who remains hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The series of violent incidents, including abductions of protesters and activists, has put Kenya’s democratic image under pressure. Human rights lawyer Martha Karua said, “We are staring at a regional crisis not an economic crisis, not a crisis of trade, but of democracy itself.”
Karua warned that Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are moving toward coordinated repression, with reports of joint operations targeting dissidents across borders. More than 80 Kenyans have reportedly been abducted in the past year by unidentified individuals, fueling fears of state-backed suppression.
Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye was taken into custody in November while visiting Nairobi. He later appeared in a Ugandan military court, charged with treason. Ugandan officials claimed he was negotiating an arms deal, though Kenya initially denied knowledge of the operation. Kenya’s foreign minister later said “there were certain issues” with Besigye’s visit and “he had to go.”
Just two months later, Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai reported being abducted in Nairobi. Four men allegedly choked and detained her, demanding access to her phone. She believes the abduction was linked to her criticism of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Though elected with reform promises in 2021, critics say Suluhu has renewed authoritarian practices.
Tanzania’s response to dissent has drawn further scrutiny. In May, the country deported Martha Karua and two Kenyan activists who had traveled to support Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Lissu is currently detained and facing treason charges after leading a protest campaign under the slogan “No reform, no elections.” His party, Chadema, has been blocked from participating in the upcoming general elections.
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire, who were allowed into Tanzania, were later detained and accused Tanzanian police of sexual abuse during their custody. Authorities in Tanzania denied the claims, but President Suluhu issued a warning: “If they have been contained in their country, let them not come here to meddle.”
Kenya’s President William Ruto has not publicly condemned the abuses. Instead, he apologized to Tanzania, saying, “If there is anything that Kenyans have done that is not right, we want to apologize.”
Political analyst Macharia Munene said Ruto’s apology likely stemmed from pressure to contain internal unrest and avoid regional fallout. He added that Tanzanian officials may fear the influence of Kenyan activists on their own upcoming elections.
Despite the growing risks, activists across the region remain defiant. “If these people are united in oppressing their citizens,” Mwangi said, “then we must be united in fighting to remove them from power.”
The events in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania suggest a troubling pattern, where states once seen as hopeful examples of democratic progress are adopting increasingly coordinated measures to silence dissent, restrict freedoms, and deter opposition. With elections on the horizon in Uganda and Tanzania, the pressure on civil society is expected to intensify.
