NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya has been ranked among 50 sub-Saharan African nations that have witnessed oppressive actions against human rights over the past year, according to a new report by CIVICUS, a global civil society organization.
The annual “People Power Under Attack 2024” report downgraded Kenya’s civic freedom status from obstructed to repressed, citing state-led violence during mid-2024 protests as a major factor.
The protests, dubbed the “Gen Z Protests,” erupted across Kenya in response to economic challenges and perceived government mismanagement.
The report highlights that at least 60 unarmed protesters were killed, over 1,000 people were arrested, and abductions of activists continued long after the demonstrations ended.
“The government’s violent response created a chilling effect on civic freedoms,” the report reads, further accusing authorities of using excessive force, disrupting peaceful protests, and targeting human rights defenders, journalists, and online supporters.
Kenya now joins countries like Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and Eswatini, which were also downgraded due to intensified restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
The CIVICUS report classifies nations into five categories—open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed, and closed—based on their respect for freedom of association and human rights protections.
Kenyan law enforcement officers have been implicated in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, drawing sharp criticism from both local and international human rights groups.
Stakeholders, including the United States, have called for accountability, but there has been little evidence of action taken against those responsible.
President William Ruto, however, has defended the police’s actions, describing them as necessary to maintain order and protect innocent citizens.
In a media interview in June 2024, Ruto stated, “Criminals have caused immense harm, and I must protect everybody, especially innocent people. I have no blood on my hands.”
While Kenya faced a downgrade, the report praised countries like Botswana and Liberia for improving their human rights records, citing enhanced political expression and strengthened protections for civic freedoms.
The annual “People Power Under Attack 2024” report downgraded Kenya’s civic freedom status from obstructed to repressed, citing state-led violence during mid-2024 protests as a major factor.
The protests, dubbed the “Gen Z Protests,” erupted across Kenya in response to economic challenges and perceived government mismanagement.
The report highlights that at least 60 unarmed protesters were killed, over 1,000 people were arrested, and abductions of activists continued long after the demonstrations ended.
“The government’s violent response created a chilling effect on civic freedoms,” the report reads, further accusing authorities of using excessive force, disrupting peaceful protests, and targeting human rights defenders, journalists, and online supporters.
Kenya now joins countries like Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and Eswatini, which were also downgraded due to intensified restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
The CIVICUS report classifies nations into five categories—open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed, and closed—based on their respect for freedom of association and human rights protections.
Kenyan law enforcement officers have been implicated in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, drawing sharp criticism from both local and international human rights groups.
Stakeholders, including the United States, have called for accountability, but there has been little evidence of action taken against those responsible.
President William Ruto, however, has defended the police’s actions, describing them as necessary to maintain order and protect innocent citizens.
In a media interview in June 2024, Ruto stated, “Criminals have caused immense harm, and I must protect everybody, especially innocent people. I have no blood on my hands.”
While Kenya faced a downgrade, the report praised countries like Botswana and Liberia for improving their human rights records, citing enhanced political expression and strengthened protections for civic freedoms.
