INTEL READS: "Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania cited for forging authoritarian alliance" (via Kenya's Star)
Authorities in the three nations are accused of teaming up to suppress civic space
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SOURCE: Star | 09 December 2025 | 12:38
In Summary
People’s Power Under Attack 2025” report, compiled using data from the CIVICUS Monitor, highlights East Africa and the Horn of Africa as hotspots of some of the most blatant acts of transnational repression.
The CIVICUS Monitor further highlights that 2025 witnessed widespread state repression across the East and Horn of Africa, including violent crackdowns on protests and the strategic use of judicial mechanisms to stifle dissent.
Authorities in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have been accused of forging an authoritarian alliance to suppress civic freedoms in the region, according to the People Power Under Attack 2025 report.
The report, compiled using data from the CIVICUS Monitor, highlights East Africa and the Horn of Africa as hotspots of some of the most blatant acts of transnational repression.
A particularly striking case involved a coordinated operation between Kenyan and Ugandan authorities that led to the abduction of prominent Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye from Nairobi.
“He was illegally rendered to Uganda to face charges in a military court, a move that circumvents civilian legal protections and demonstrates the misuse of state security apparatus to neutralise political opponents,” the report noted.
The report further documents alleged abuses involving Tanzanian military agents, who reportedly abducted, tortured, and sexually assaulted Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire while they were in Dar es Salaam to observe the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
These incidents, the report argues, illustrate a shocking display of regional impunity.
Kenyan authorities also came under scrutiny following the unlawful deportation of Martin Mavenjina, a senior legal advisor at the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
The move, widely condemned as politically motivated, was interpreted as an attempt to silence a key civil society voice.
“These events collectively paint a picture of an alarming authoritarian alliance,” the report said.
The CIVICUS Monitor further highlights that 2025 witnessed widespread state repression across the East and Horn of Africa, including violent crackdowns on protests and the strategic use of judicial mechanisms to stifle dissent.
In Kenya, protests in June and July 2025 commemorating the 2024 demonstrations against tax hikes were met with lethal force, resulting in at least 65 deaths and over 600 injuries.
Authorities were accused of deploying armed gangs alongside state security forces to attack demonstrators. Over 1,500 people were arrested, with some facing terrorism charges. During one protest on June 17, 2025, at least one bystander was killed and 25 others hospitalised after police reportedly used live ammunition.
Youth-led movements and demonstrations against economic hardship in the region have frequently been met with brutal repression, including mass arrests and fatalities.
Similar patterns were observed in Madagascar, where security forces responded with disproportionate and lethal force during clashes on October 9, 2025, arresting at least 28 protesters who were subsequently referred for prosecution.
The CIVICUS Monitor, a participatory research partnership, assesses the state of civic space worldwide and provides timely insights into developments affecting civil liberties.
It collaborates with over 20 civil society research partners, who contribute country-specific updates based on information directly obtained from local civil society organisations.
These updates undergo rigorous triangulation and verification before publication to ensure accuracy and reliability.