NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenya has officially been listed among countries with the most severe restrictions on civic freedoms, following a brutal government crackdown on recent protests and growing digital surveillance measures.
In its latest global report, Civicus Monitor, a respected human rights watchdog, ranked Kenya as “repressed”—the second-worst category in its civic space index, marking a sharp decline in the country’s democratic standing.
The group cited excessive police violence, arbitrary arrests, and digital censorship in its assessment.
“Kenya now joins a list of 51 countries where civic rights are deteriorating,” said Ine Van Severen, Civic Space Research Lead at Civicus. “The government’s response to peaceful protests, marked by brutality and fear tactics, is a clear sign of systemic repression.”
Kenya is one of six countries newly downgraded in the index, alongside El Salvador, Indonesia, Turkey, Serbia, and the United States.
Protest Crackdown and Digital Controls
The classification comes in the wake of the youth-led protests on June 25 and July 7, which erupted in response to the controversial Finance Bill.
The demonstrations turned deadly, with at least 65 people killed, hundreds injured, and over 1,500 arrested.
A Civicus report titled “Police Bullets, Digital Chains” chronicles the events, describing how peaceful demonstrators were met with violent suppression instead of dialogue.
“There were reports of rape, gang rape, and looting—allegedly by state-backed militias and goons deployed to infiltrate and destabilize the protests,” the report said.
The watchdog condemned the use of unmarked vehicles and masked plainclothes officers—tactics previously banned by Kenyan courts—arguing that these measures point to a coordinated campaign to stifle dissent.
Additionally, activist and teacher Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody at Nairobi Central Police Station, was cited as a tragic symbol of the shrinking space for free expression.
Weaponizing the Law Against Protesters
Civicus also criticized the state’s use of terrorism charges against peaceful demonstrators, calling it a dangerous misuse of Kenya’s legal system.
“The use of terrorism charges against protesters raises concerns about the criminalisation of dissent and weaponisation of the legal framework,” Van Severen said.
Civil society organizations, including Amnesty International, have echoed these concerns, urging the government to uphold constitutional freedoms.
Surveillance and the Battle for Digital Rights
The report further warned against a proposed bill that would force social media companies to establish local offices in Kenya.
While the government frames the legislation as a national security measure, Civicus sees it as a veiled attempt to control online speech and expand mass surveillance.
“This law threatens to deepen repression just as more Kenyans turn to digital platforms to criticise government excesses,” the report noted.
The developments come amid growing domestic and international concern over the erosion of democratic values under President William Ruto’s administration.
Lawyers, human rights groups, and opposition leaders have all criticised the government’s heavy-handed tactics.
LSK President Faith Odhiambo recently accused authorities of “misusing terror charges to silence dissent.”
Meanwhile, vocal international campaigns like Vocal Africa are turning up pressure over abductions and abuses, including the case of Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi, allegedly kidnapped in Tanzania.
Civicus has called on Parliament to reject anti-democratic laws and demanded accountability for police brutality, saying Kenya risks sliding further into authoritarianism if current trends continue.
“The Kenyan government has turned its back on its people,” the watchdog warned.
