Kenya downgraded on human rights over police brutality

By Newsflash Writer

Kenya has been downgraded to a “repressed” status in a global human rights ranking by Civicus, a worldwide alliance of civil society organisations.

In its July 30 watchlist, Civicus highlighted that the Kenyan government continues to use excessive force, arbitrary arrests, and digital surveillance to suppress dissent. These tactics, it said, have created a hostile environment for civic engagement and freedom of expression. “The government’s response to peaceful protest has crossed a perilous threshold,” said Ine Van Severen, research lead for Civicus Civic Space. “The systematic nature of the repression shows a deliberate strategy to criminalise civic engagement and silence dissent.”

Kenya now joins countries like El Salvador, Indonesia, Serbia, Turkey, and the United States in receiving the second-worst possible rating. This designation indicates that freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association are heavily restricted. The downgrade was based on violent state responses to two key protests—on June 17 and 25.

The first saw youths in Nairobi march against the death of 31-year-old teacher Albert Ojwang, who allegedly died in police custody. The second was a nationwide protest to mark the first anniversary of the June 25, 2024 demonstrations, during which police reportedly killed at least 65 young people and wounded hundreds more in response to opposition to the Finance Bill 2024.

State violence and legal repression

Civicus also documented disturbing allegations of sexual violence during the protests, including cases of rape and gang rape allegedly committed by individuals linked to state security. These individuals reportedly operated in coordination with plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles, despite a court order barring such practices. Van Severen noted that the government’s response to public outrage has been marked by violence, intimidation, and censorship, instead of dialogue and reform.

Following the backlash, the government announced new police use-of-force guidelines. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen stated that police would no longer be permitted to fire live bullets unless their lives or those of other civilians were in immediate danger. Nonetheless, concerns persist. Civicus expressed alarm over the decision to prosecute arrested protesters using anti-terrorism laws, calling it a misuse of the legal system. “The use of terrorism charges against peaceful protesters raises serious concerns about the weaponisation of the legal system to criminalise dissent,” the report stated. Civicus concluded that Kenya’s rights environment is deteriorating, with peaceful activism increasingly met with state-sanctioned brutality. The downgrade reflects what it calls a dangerous trend of shrinking civic space and an erosion of constitutional freedoms