Kenya is experiencing a significant deterioration in its human rights landscape, as revealed by two major reports released in December 2025. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) documented a troubling rise in rights violations between December 2024 and December 2025, while a global assessment titled “People Power Under Attack 2025” by CIVICUS warned of Kenya’s rapidly eroding reputation as a safe haven for human rights defenders.

According to KNCHR, at least 661 complaints of rights violations and 15 abductions linked to security officers were recorded during this period. The right to life was identified as the most severely abused, accounting for 57 deaths. These incidents included the killing of human rights defender Richard Otieno in Molo, the fatal shooting of a minor in Kiambu County, and the death of Albert Ojwang, a civilian who was killed while in police custody. Additionally, five lives were lost in land clashes in Angata Baragoi. The commission expressed deep concern about a resurgence of arbitrary detentions, torture, abductions, and enforced disappearances allegedly committed by government security agents.

Counties in the North Rift region—including West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Turkana, and Samburu—have continued to emerge as hotspots for extra-judicial killings, despite interventions such as the government-backed Operation Maliza Uhalifu. KNCHR documented 12 reports of abductions, torture, and extra-judicial executions in parts of Marakwet East, Pokot Central, and Tiaty. The commission also noted the re-emergence of criminal gangs backed by politicians and business owners, deployed to intimidate and terrorize targeted individuals. As part of its recommendations, KNCHR urged the government to allocate sufficient resources for the full enforcement of the Prevention of Torture Act, enabling better monitoring, documentation, and reporting of cases, and to disarm armed communities to restore peace in affected regions.

Further compounding domestic concerns, the CIVICUS report exposed a worrying pattern of transnational repression and the misuse of state security agencies, contributing to Kenya’s declining status on the global human rights map. The report cited Kenya’s involvement in the controversial arrest of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye in November 2024, who was allegedly abducted by state agents in Nairobi and handed over to Ugandan authorities, where he remained detained a year later. CIVICUS described this development as part of an “escalating campaign, characterised by abductions, illegal renditions, judicial harassment, and torture,” which has eroded safe havens for journalists, activists, and opposition figures across the continent.

The report also highlighted a troubling regional coordination in suppressing dissent, particularly the intensified cooperation among authorities in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The May 2025 arrests of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire exemplify the routine use of intimidation, surveillance, and targeted harassment to silence critics. More broadly across Africa, repressive governments have increasingly relied on attacks, detentions, and excessive force against journalists, activists, and protesters. In Kenya alone, more than 1,500 people were arrested and 65 killed between June 25 and July 11, 2025, during protests commemorating the anniversary of the 2024 Gen Z-led demonstrations against tax hikes. Those protests had evolved into a larger movement against corruption, misgovernance, and police brutality.

Beyond physical violence, governments have leveraged judicial systems as tools of repression, bringing trumped-up charges—including terrorism—against dissidents. Even more disturbing were CIVICUS’ findings that state-backed actors have used violence and sexual assault to intimidate or punish critics. Activist Bob Njagi, recently released from detention in Uganda, condemned private sector actors—specifically telecommunications companies—for allegedly supplying data used to track and target dissidents. His claims point to a troubling level of collaboration between Kenyan and Ugandan authorities in suppressing activism.

Reflecting the severity of these developments, Kenya was awarded a score of 31 out of 100 on the CIVICUS Civic Space scale, placing the country in the “obstructed” category—signifying significant restrictions on civil liberties and fundamental freedoms.