Digital violence is not new to Kenyan politics, but it has now escalated to the point at which we cannot ignore it anymore, because of its devastating effects on young people, especially human rights defenders.
What we are now witnessing is a coordinated system of tech-facilitated state violence: a merger of police brutality, online harassment, disinformation, and unlawful surveillance. Instead of protecting young Kenyans, the government has turned digital platforms into battlegrounds where dissent is punished, and fear is the currency of control.
A resent report by Amnesty International reveals that since 2024, Kenyan security agencies have deployed paid troll networks to smear protesters as “foreign agents,” drown out legitimate criticism, and incite violence against young activists. These are not random attacks; these are systematic, state-linked operations meant to intimidate, silence, and erase a generation demanding accountability.
Human Rights defenders have reported that X (formerly Twitter) has become the main stage of this abuse. Despite countless warnings, X has allowed its algorithms, trending section, and moderation failures to be weaponized. Government-linked disinformation-for-hire networks manipulate hashtags in real time, flooding the platform with coordinated hate, misogyny, and propaganda. X is failing Kenyan users by enabling this digital repression and refusing to invest in safety systems that protect young activists, women, and marginalized communities.
Safaricom, too, cannot escape responsibility. Allegations continue to mount that Safaricom has allegedly allowed police and intelligence agencies to access customer call data and location information without warrants, data that may have been used to abduct, track, and intimidate protesters. Therefore, through Amnesty’s petition, we demand that the company submit to an independent investigation or transparently disclose its human rights due diligence. Young people should never fear that their phone data could be used to harm them for simply speaking out.
Enough is enough. Kenya’s young people deserve a digital space that protects them, not one that punishes them for participating in democracy. They deserve a government that respects the Constitution, platforms that uphold human rights, and corporations that do not treat their lives as collateral damage.
That is why we are calling for an immediate end to tech-facilitated state violence, an independent investigation into abuses, and urgent reforms to protect freedom of expression and protest.
Sign the petition now and stand with Kenya’s youth as we demand safety, dignity, and accountability online and offline.
Sharlene Muthuri is Amnesty International Kenya Technology & Human Rights Campaigns Officer and writes in her personal capacity. Email: [email protected]