Oxfam’s new data shows Kenya is far from the Kenya Kwanza’s 2022 promise of a fair and prosperous nation. The 2025 Inequality Report offers policies for those leaders still committed to that vision

There is a dangerous pattern taking root across East Africa: when confronted with uncomfortable truths, governments are increasingly choosing propaganda, denial, and digital repression over accountability and dialogue. It is the oldest authoritarian reflex: bury your head in the sand, deny citizens’ lived experiences, and drown out dissent with noise. Yet history shows that this strategy never works in the long run, and often makes the eventual fallout far more explosive. Tanzania’s recent response to the shocking CNN investigation showing police fatally shooting protesters and signs of mass graves is a clear example. Rather than engage with the evidence, the Government Spokesperson swiftly dismissed the investigation as “unprofessional and unacceptable,” accusing neighbouring countries of pushing “propaganda” to tarnish Tanzania’s image. This defensiveness is complemented by the suppression of protest footage through a near-total internet blackout and threats to jail anyone sharing post-election violence videos. It was a calculated attempt to control perception rather than address the disturbing reality on the ground. But governments must learn a simple lesson: you can blackout the internet, but you cannot blackout reality.

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. 

The release of two investigative reports this week into technology enabled state surveillance and violence against critics of the state reminds us of a disturbing reality. Despite the Kenya authorities’ heavy investment in building an open and prosperous digital economy, digital rights violations persist. Left unchecked, they will continue to puncture the power of our constitutional freedoms and the Data Protection Act (2019).

H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, EGH

Welcome to the 2025 edition of CTRL+Speak, a youth-driven magazine by Amnesty International Kenya’s Technology and Human Rights team. Think of “Ctrl” as the control key on your keyboard—holding it down unlocks new possibilities. CTRL+Speak does the same for your voice online: empowering young people to speak up, advocate for human rights, and shape a safer digital world.

H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, EGH

*Names changed to protect identities

Kenya’s historic Gen Z–led protests of 2024 and 2025 showed the power of young people mobilizing online—and the alarming speed with which that power was met with digital repression, intimidation, and violence. This new Amnesty International report documents how technology has become both a tool for civic participation and a weapon used to silence, surveil, and harm young Kenyans demanding accountability.

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?