Rights groups in Kenya have expressed concerns over the country's deteriorating human rights and governance situation, citing a series of incidents that have weakened democratic institutions and undermined fundamental freedoms. In a joint report, civil society organisations under the Civic Freedoms Forum noted that Kenya's global freedom score dropped from 51 to 49 out of 100 in 2026, with the country retaining its classification as "partly free". Some organisations have described the country as "repressed", the second-worst rating.
The report cites the use of unlawful and lethal force against protesters, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, intimidation and surveillance of journalists and activists, media blackouts, threats to privacy and freedom of expression, as well as rising gender-based violence. The groups warn that these developments undermine the democratic principles Kenya is committed to upholding and raise concerns about the country's readiness for credible elections in 2027. According to the report, at least 11 people have been killed in political violence so far this year.
Threats to electoral integrity are a major concern, with political violence and interference with electoral processes featuring prominently in the report. During four rounds of mini-polls conducted between November 2025 and July 2026, civil society organisations documented incidents of voter bribery, political violence, intimidation, deaths, destruction of property, misuse of public resources and partisan conduct by public officials. They also reported interference with and attacks on journalists covering the elections.
The report further notes that political space is shrinking, with political actors increasingly relying on goons to disrupt rival gatherings. The groups described many of the incidents as state-led, with police officers, some dressed in civilian clothes, allegedly operating with impunity. The 2025 and 2026 by-elections exposed growing threats to electoral integrity and the right to free, fair and transparent elections, the report says.
Police brutality and shrinking civic space are also major concerns, with the report accusing the State of responding to public protests with force, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and surveillance. The groups raise concerns over growing digital repression, including plans by the government to establish a digital intelligence unit to monitor online activity. Journalists have faced increasing threats, with 15 cases of Kenyan journalists being arrested, detained or held hostage by police, alongside 75 incidents of physical violence against journalists in 2025.
The report also raises concerns over corruption, public debt, punitive taxation and the rising cost of living, saying ordinary Kenyans continue to bear the burden of public borrowing and the misuse of public resources. Essential services, including education and healthcare, are becoming increasingly unaffordable. Communities face challenges relating to land ownership, compensation and the exploitation of natural resources. The groups attribute part of the worsening situation to the weakening of independent institutions and oversight bodies.
The organisations have called on the government and relevant institutions to end police killings, torture, enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests, protect the right to peaceful assembly and hold those responsible for abuses accountable. They have also demanded greater protection for journalists, human rights defenders, civil society organisations and opposition actors, alongside safeguards for digital rights and an end to the misuse of cybercrime laws and surveillance.
Key points
- Rights groups warn of worsening human rights and governance in Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election.
- The country's global freedom score dropped from 51 to 49 out of 100 in 2026.
- At least 11 people have been killed in political violence so far this year.
