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  • MAY 2025 ISSUE OF THE AMNESTY KENYA GAZETTE

    This edition of the Amnesty Kenya Gazette arrives at a moment of reckoning and resilience. In recent weeks, we have celebrated landmark legal victories—including the ruling against Worldcoin’s illegal data harvesting practices and long-overdue progress in the Baby Pendo case, where officers were finally held accountable for police brutality. These wins serve as reminders that justice, though delayed, can prevail. At the same time, we confront disturbing setbacks: the crackdown on filmmakers, the resurgence of digital surveillance through the Kenya Information and Communication (Amendment) Bill, and the Tanzanian government’s brutal treatment of human rights defenders. In May, we launched two searing reports—Missing Voices 2023 and Locked In, Left Out—exposing the pain of police violence and the harrowing abuse faced by Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. These truths, though difficult, fuel our collective demand for dignity, accountability, and reform. Through every campaign, court ruling, and act of courage, we continue to protect those whose voices the state seeks to erase.

  • STATEMENT ON THE TORTURE, ASSAULT AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST EAST AFRICANS BONIFACE MWANGI AND AGATHER ATUHAIRE

    NAIROBI, TUESDAY, 3 JUNE, 2025: The Law Society of Kenya and the Police Reforms Working Group call on the East African Community and the international community to demand that the Government of Tanzania hold accountable the police officers and their commanding officers responsible for the torture, assault, and sexual assault committed against Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire.

  • MISSING VOICES ANNUAL REPORT 2024: BRUTAL POLICING

    In 2024, Kenya faced a disturbing resurgence of state-led violence, with enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings reaching alarming levels. As captured in the Missing Voices Annual Report 2024, the crackdown on peaceful protests—particularly those led by Gen Z and Millennial activists against the Finance Bill—revealed a government increasingly willing to silence dissent through unlawful force. This report, compiled by a coalition of leading human rights organizations, provides verified data, survivor testimonies, and expert insights into these grave human rights violations. It serves as both a record of injustice and a call to action—for accountability, reform, and justice for all those affected.

  • PHEROZE MUST BE PROUD OF BUTERE GIRLS’ SPINE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES

    History judges harshly those who try to crush freedom of expression in children. The scenes fromButere High School this week were appalling. The poet in Pheroze Nowrejee, who died recently,would have been incensed. I also suspect, he would also have been deeply proud of the girls’principled stand.“Echoes of war” was a little-known play before the Butere High School Principal was instructed tostop her students from submitting it for this year’s Kenya Schools and Drama Festival. Set in thefictitious Velvet Emirates, Gen Z find their attempts to rescue a war-torn and divided kingdomthwarted at every turn by the older generation. The play powerfully adapts artistry, songs andmusic from last year’s Gen Z protests.If the attempt was to suppress the play’s message, it utterly backfired. A set of clumsy and thenviolent authoritarian actions has increased public interest ten-fold. According to courtproceedings, the play was adjudicated and approved to participate at sub-county, county andregional levels only for the School Principal to abruptly close the entire school of 1,642 studentsto deny 50 actors the opportunity to rehearse and perform.At this point, a ten-year old injustice, dramatically boomeranged. Anifa Mango, an alumni student-actor who had experienced the power of the High Court in stopping censorship of the “Shacklesof Doom” play in 2013 swung into action. The former student, now a millennial advocate marchedto court and secured court orders that the school be reopened, the Principal ignore externalpressure and the students perform the play in its original form.In a colossal overreach of state power, scores of police officers (curiously many brought in fromNairobi) teargassed children, assaulted journalists and arrested playwright and former SenatorCleophas Malala in violation of the court order. The festival organisers then scheduled the play toa time there was likely to be no audience.What the secondary students did next will inspire several generations of artists. Rather thanperform without their playwright, the actors stood together to sing the national anthem. Onestudent stepped forward to announce “Butere girls will stand strong, the message of Echoes ofWar shall find another platform. God bless Kenya,” and then, they all exited, stage left.The significance of a Millennial protecting Alphas inspired by Gen Z activism would not have beenlost on Pheroze Nowrejee. Pheroze (84) died this week on a visit to America. The author-poetand senior counsel impacted on four generations of friends, lawyers, judicial officers, human rightsdefenders, journalists, community organisers, medics, politicians among others. Their tributesonline sketch a life boldly lived and wisdom generously shared.Third generation Indian Kenyan and Yale University trained, Pheroze believed advocates mustchallenge misgovernance, corruption and impunity. Regardless of the topic, his arguments wereconsistently morally anchored in constitutional and rule of law principles. While he representedthe powerful and vulnerable with equal professionalism, he strongly believed victims of injusticedeserved his time most.In one of our very first encounters, he patiently listened to the 26-year-old Irungu speak of thepower of politics and politicians. He then interrupted to say very deliberately, “Politics is not aprofession. Seek a profession and then bring progressive politics to that space.” An irrepressibleoptimist, intense conversations with Pheroze often left me and many others with a renewed senseof clarity and agency.

  • POLICE CRACKDOWN ON BUTERE GIRL’S PLAY VIOLATES CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND SUPPRESSES FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSOCIATION

    Nairobi, Thursday, 10th April 2025: Amnesty International Kenya strongly condemns the unlawful police actions on April 9 and 10, 2025, in Nakuru, where officers violently disrupted the performance of Echoes of War by students from Butere Girls High School. Journalists covering the play were assaulted, entry to the performance hall was blocked, and tear gas was indiscriminately used—all pointing to a worrying pattern of state-sponsored repression of free expression, press freedom, and the right to associate.

  • FEBRUARY 2025 ISSUE OF THE AMNESTY KENYA GAZETTE

    In a time of mounting challenges to human rights, our collective resilience continues to shine through. This edition of the Amnesty Kenya Gazette is a testament to the power of activism, solidarity, and unwavering commitment to justice. From exposing human rights violations and holding power to account, to standing in solidarity with communities demanding change, we remain steadfast in our mission. We bring you stories of courage—of individuals and movements refusing to stay silent in the face of oppression. We honour those who have dedicated their lives to the fight for justice, even as we mourn the loss of a tireless champion in the education sector. As we turn these pages, let us remember: the struggle for dignity, freedom, and accountability is one we must continue—together, and without fear.

  • Statement Condemning the Arbitrary Detention without charge of Human Rights Defenders, following The End Femicide March held on 10 December 2024

    On 16 December 2024, Lawyers from the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya), AmnestyInternational Kenya, The Law Society of Kenya, the Independent Medico-Legal Unit and the Kenya National Commission onHuman Rights were in court today to release five persons including Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director IrunguHoughton charged with “Unlawful Assembly”.

  • Joint Statement by Amnesty International Kenya, the Law Society of Kenya, Human is My ID Alliance, and the End Femicide KE Movement

    Nairobi, Kenya | December 10, 2024: On this International Human Rights Day, a day dedicated to celebrating and upholding the dignity, freedom, and rights of all people, we witnessed a grave violation of these very principles. Peaceful protestors in Nairobi—predominantly women and allies—marching against the epidemic of femicide were teargassed, violently dispersed, and unlawfully arrested by police. Among those detained are human rights defenders Irungu Houghton and two others, who were unjustly arrested despite their peaceful participation.