The announcement of women-focused voter registration campaign is timely. Its success will depend on breaking down the barriers that continue to exclude women from their full participation in our democracy.

Less than one year before millions of Kenyans return to the ballot for the 2027 General Elections, the country is already entering a critical phase of its electoral cycle. The political machinery is already warming up, alliances are being negotiated, political leaders are positioning themselves, voters are being mobilised and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is preparing for the 2027 polls. But as the country moves closer to a highly charged political season, there is a question that deserves far more attention than who will occupy State House: Will human rights be protected throughout the electoral period? 

For over a decade, Kenyans have buried protesters, treated life-changing injuries and watched cycles of violence repeat on our streets and in our communities. A new draft Freedom of Assembly Bill offers a chance to break this pattern. What does it get right, where does it depart from previous bills, and what must be strengthened to ensure that demonstrations are protected, not punished?

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.