ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa strongly condemns the spate of abductions and intimidation of activists and critics speaking out against governments in Eastern African countries, suspected to be carried out by Kenyan security agents. We are alarmed by Kenyan authorities’ apparent willingness to collude with other governments in the region to crack down on critical voices, ultimately taking part in operations of transnational repression.
Most recently, on 12 January 2025, Maria Sarungi Tsehai, a Tanzanian media activist and human rights defender, was violently abducted by armed men in Nairobi, Kenya. Hours later, and following uproar and solidarity from the public on social media platforms, she was released. Ms. Tsehai, an advocate for land rights and freedom of expression, has consistently criticised the Tanzanian government’s increasingly repressive policies under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
‘The abduction of Maria Sarungi Tsehai and the other individuals on Kenyan soil without regard for the law is a brazen attempt to silence people who speak truth to power and highlights the growing dangers faced by human rights activists and government critics in East Africa. The Kenyan government must ensure its territory is not used for such acts of intimidation and stand firm in protecting the right to free expression, including in online spaces,’ said Mugambi Kiai, Regional Director for ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa.
In November 2024, Kizza Besigye, a prominent Ugandan activist and a four-time presidential contender, was similarly abducted in Kenya and taken back to Uganda. Mr. Besigye was in Kenya to attend a book launch for Against the Tide by Kenyan author Martha Karua, a long-time critic of the current president of Kenya and former opposition aspirant for vice president in the national general elections of 2022. Mr. Bisigye’s lawyer confirmed that Besigye was charged in a military court in Uganda for having two pistols and soliciting ‘logistical support in Uganda, Greece, and other countries with the aim of compromising the country’s national security’. However, he denied the charges and has been kept in prison, where he is still being held at the time this statement was released. Mr Besigye is being detained in a military prison, despite the fact that he has never served in the military. Earlier in July 2024, 36 members of Besigye’s Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party were arrested in Kisumu, Kenya, and transported back to Uganda, where they were tortured and indicted on charges related to terrorism.
In October 2024, human rights organisations under the umbrella of the Police Reforms Working Group raised alarm over the repatriation of four Turkish refugees. According to reports, a British national and several Turkish citizens were abducted in Nairobi by masked men. Necdet Seyitoğlu, who lived in the United Kingdom for 18 years before moving to Kenya, said he was released after eight hours when he showed his alleged abductors a copy of his British passport. According to media reports, Kenya Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei announced that the other four abductees were repatriated back to Turkey on 18 October 2024 at the Turkish government’s request.
In February 2023, a social media enthusiast and government critic from South Sudan, Mr. Morris Mabior, went missing in Kenya after allegedly being abducted by men in police uniform in Nairobi. The former state officer and open critic of the South Sudanese Internal Security Bureau Director General fled his country in 2021 and was seeking asylum in Kenya. The allegations raised against the Kenyan government promptraise concern for Kenya’s breach of international refugee laws on protection and non-refoulement. In a case filed at the East African Court of Justice in 2023, the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) sued the governments of South Sudan and Kenya, regarding alleged arrest and detention of the activist, statingaying that it was unlawful. The Attorney General of Kenya, through the state counsel office, responded that Mr Mabior was never arrested nor investigated by the police. To date, Mr. Mabior has never been seen in public and his whereabouts are still unknown.
‘These unfortunate patterns of the Kenyan government colluding with foreign governments to abduct their citizens within Kenyan borders, as well as cases of abductions of Kenyan citizens, often occurring in broad daylight without regard to the rule of law paints a worrying picture of the state of the country’s human rights record,’ noted Mugambi Kiai.
Surge of abductions in Kenya
The incidents highlighted reflect a troubling pattern of abductions in Kenya, specifically targeting political critics and activists. According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), there has been a significant increase in these incidents, where unidentified armed individuals thought to be linked to security services clandestinely carry out abductions, primarily targeting outspoken government critics, particularly those active on social media. As of 26 December, 2024, the National Commission reported at least 82 such cases since June 2024, coinciding with youth-led protests against the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
These protests, which began on 6 June 2024, gained momentum after the Bill’s introduction in parliament. The Bill’s provisions, which would substantially increase the cost of living, sparked widespread public outrage. The protests peaked on 25 June, when demonstrators overwhelmed police forces and entered parliament. The government’s response was swift and severe, launching a crackdown that included deploying the military on citizens, conducting abductions, arbitrary arrests, torture, and, in some cases, extrajudicial killings of perceived protest leaders.
These abductions, which often occur in broad daylight and are captured on CCTV, have yet to result in any arrests or persons being presented in court. Despite the National Police Service’s denial of involvement, we remind them of their duty to protect all individuals in Kenya from such violent acts.
ARTICLE 19 East Africa calls on the Government of Kenya to immediately cease the abduction and harassment of human rights activists and government critics. We call on the government and to take decisive action to address this disturbing pattern of human rights violations perpetrated against law-abiding citizens and foreigners who are exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Kenya must not be used as a platform for foreign governments to abduct their citizens or for any unlawful actions that undermine the right to free expression, liberty, and rule of law as pronounced in international human rights instruments and the Constitution of Kenya 2010. We call on the Kenyan authorities to initiate prompt, transparent investigations into all cases of abduction, holding those responsible accountable. Furthermore, the government must uphold its constitutional responsibility to protect the freedom and security of all individuals, ensuring that any arrest or detention complies fully with the rule of law, including the rights of arrested persons; especially the right to legal representation, timely court appearances, and the option of release on bond.