A week before World Press Freedom Day 2026, the Zambian government did something that cut against every word of this year’s theme. Days before RightsCon was scheduled to open in Lusaka on May 5, with thousands of activists, technologists, journalists, and policymakers already en route, the government announced it was postponing the event to ensure “full alignment with Zambia’s national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations.”

Does the midnight detention, interrogation, and dawn deportation of a senior staff member from one of the world’s largest philanthropic foundations signal an early tactic in the Kenyan government’s playbook for the 2027 General Elections?

“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Lord Acton may have spoken these words in the 19th century, but their truth echoes across every corridor where authority is exercised today. Power, by its very nature, bends toward self-preservation. It seeks silence over scrutiny, loyalty over competence, and convenience over accountability. And this is not just a political phenomenon; it manifests anywhere leadership is exercised without meaningful checks. When leaders begin to ignore dissenting voices and sideline alternative opinions, they create an echo chamber where their interests masquerade as the collective good. That echo chamber becomes even more dangerous depending on the people a leader chooses to surround themselves with. Power curates its own company, and often, it chooses loyalty over integrity.

Nairobi, 12 May 2025: Federation of International Women Lawyers, The Constitution and Reform Education Consortium-Kenya, Siasa Place, Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), Baraza Media Lab, Transparency International Kenya and Amnesty International Kenya met with His Excellency Alexander Stubb, the President of the Republic of Finland, First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb and Senior Officials of the Government of Finland.

Kenya has witnessed a surge in civic action, from nationwide protests to grassroots movements demanding accountability and justice. But how do we transform public dissent into concrete policy changes? Join us for a compelling discussion on Protests to Policy: How Can Kenya Restore Human Rights and Integrity?

Madam President, members of the Council and the Law Society of Kenya. Amnesty International Kenya is very pleased and honored to offer keynote remarks at the Law Society gala dinner to honor advocates who provided legal representation to protesters.  

A day before President Ruto launched new terms and conditions for the police, prisons and national youth service on Wednesday this week, Police officers chose to riot and rampage uninvited through the Multi-Media University of Kenya. If the last three months were not enough of a poisoned cup for Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja, who assumed office on Thursday, his new appointment could just tarnish four decades of his career if he is not careful.

On behalf of the Kenya Union of Journalists, Bloggers Association of Kenya, Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union, the Kenya Medical Association, Missing Voices Alliance and the Police Reforms Working Group, we award this certificate of appreciation to all Law Society of Kenya advocates who provided legal representation to Kenyans unfairly arrested or abducted for expressing their constitutional right to assembly and free expression.

Nairobi, 8 August 2024: The Law Society of Kenya and Police Reforms Working Group’s attention has been drawn to media reports showing people masked and armed with large wooden batons on 6 August 2024 in Kapsabet town and elsewhere threatening to violently disrupt any form of gathering. The reports and videos seen by the Working Group indicate that the armed group intend to prevent planned protests against poor service by the Nandi County Government.

The #RejectFinanceBill hashtag was tweeted four million times on X, attracting the attention of people nationally and globally. The hashtag entailed information on citizens’ demands on political accountability, civic education on various governance issues, calls for the release of citizens who have been unlawfully arrested or abducted, and community self-organizing on peaceful protests to take place. Interacting with these social media posts every time someone is on social media has stirred emotions and actions that have portrayed citizens’ awakening on various governance issues. A common phrase in Kenya right now is that every Kenyan has become an activist.

After a five-month delay, the Reverend Mutava Musyimi-led Taskforce formed to recommend more effective ways of regulating religious extremism submitted its report to President Ruto this week. Disappointingly, the report offers few fresh ideas.

Are Kenyans able to break the cycle of repetitive compulsion and seize this national moment to transform systemic issues that have festered and finally burst? Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud explored the concept of repetitive compulsion a century ago. Repetitive compulsion is the unconscious tendency of a person to repeat their response to a past traumatic event expecting new consequences. Rather than analyze what has happened and choose how to respond, individuals hit repeat. The concept can be applied to our national behaviour today.