Young Kenyans mobilized peacefully, both online and offline, to demand accountability and economic justice during the #RejectFinanceBill protests in 2024. In response, Kenyan security agencies have cracked down on young people’s right to protest through smear campaigns, harassment, surveillance, disappearances, and even killings of young activists. The digital platform X allowed state-sponsored groups to spread coordinated disinformation and harassment against activists, whilst Kenya’s largest telecommunications company, Safaricom, failed to investigate claims of illegal data sharing that is alleged to have allowed security agencies to track down young protesters. This petition calls for bold action, accountability, and protection of Kenya’s digital civic space.

“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.

The 27 November by-elections have all the signs of a mini General Election. Given that our two neighbouring governments, Tanzania and Uganda, have provided clear evidence on how not to prepare for elections, can the Kenyan authorities demonstrate any difference?

While many celebrated the release and safe return of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, a section of the public, including a notable Member of Parliament, has chosen a different path. Rather than condemn their abduction and 38-day disappearance, they have defended it. Some have even gone as far as to say, “They got what they deserved.” This article is for them. Let’s be clear: no one, regardless of nationality, opinion, or political leaning, deserves to be abducted, held incommunicado, or denied due process.

As we close another eventful period, this edition of the Amnesty Kenya Gazette brings together stories of courage, resilience, and collective action. From the safe return of activists abducted abroad, to the recognition of human rights defenders and civic tech innovators, to critical conversations on digital rights, justice, and equality, this edition highlights how Kenyans are shaping a society that respects dignity, upholds freedoms, and defends human rights. We also celebrate cultural expressions that inspire reflection, healing, and imagination for a just future. Through these stories, we underscore the power of solidarity, advocacy, and youth-led action in advancing human rights across Kenya and the region.

Described by the Citizen News Gang as having lost “its innocence,” Tanzania is in a political meltdown. After days of internet shutdowns, blackouts, and curfews, the truth is slowly beginning to shine through the state’s efforts to censor or control information. This raises credible concerns about the conditions of Tanzanian protesters and Kenyans caught up in the violence.

Nairobi, Kenya, November 7, 2025: VOCAL Africa, Defenders Coalition, and Amnesty International Kenya express our deep outrage and condemnation over the recently witnessed and ongoing violence, human rights violations, and breakdown of the rule of law in the Republic of Tanzania following the just concluded elections.

Civic space in East Africa is shrinking fast. Across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, abductions, harassment, and detention of activists and political opponents are becoming frighteningly routine. Even more alarming is how these abuses are increasingly occurring across borders and how our governments seem to collaborate in committing them.  

The recent release of the Aga Khan University’s study on femicide related media coverage in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda re-ignited a sense of personal urgency. Shockingly, the Gender-Based Violence Technical Working Group Report remains shelved in the Office of the Deputy President. How can we leverage these findings to reignite public and policy momentum to ensure meaningful action?

In Quarter 3 of 2025, young leaders across Kenya amplified campaigns that challenge coercive consent, push back against cyberbullying, and demand transparent, rights-respecting data governance. This quarterly digest captures our workshops, community dialogues, litigation work, youth campaigns, and the people powering a safer digital future.

Nairobi, Kenya, October 27, 2025: VOCAL Africa, the Law Society of Kenya, and Amnesty International continue to express our deep and growing concern over the enforced disappearance of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who remain in custody under troubling circumstances. Informal sources indicate that the two’s health has begun to deteriorate after more than 25 days in detention without access to consular, legal, or medical services.

Kenyan citizens Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi were abducted in broad daylight by uniformed officers in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. Since then, they have simply vanished. Uganda’s police and military deny involvement, and the Kenyan government has gone silent. Are we witnessing a return to Idi Amin’s terror, or does the 1986 National Resistance Movement (NRM) promise of justice and human rights still have legs three months before the January 2026 general elections?