By Eddah Waithaka
Human rights defenders from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have issued a stark warning over the rapidly deteriorating state of civic freedoms in East Africa.
Following a three-day regional gathering in Nairobi, activists condemned the systematic crackdown on dissent, enforced disappearances, and unlawful deportations plaguing the region.
State-Sanctioned Repression on the Rise
Activists highlighted a coordinated assault on fundamental rights across the three countries. In Kenya, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings have surged, with state operatives targeting activists, whistleblowers, and critics.
Recent victims include Brian Odhiambo, Ibrahim Ramadhan, Dennis Muthui, and 17-year-old student Musa Kibet, whose deaths and abductions remain unresolved.
In Uganda, abductions and torture of opposition supporters—particularly those linked to the National Unity Platform (NUP)—have become routine. Despite a Supreme Court ruling barring military trials for civilians, detainees remain held unlawfully in military courts.
Tanzania continues its suppression of dissent, with unresolved disappearances like that of Deusdedith Soka and the brutal murder of activist Ali Kibao, whose mutilated body washed ashore in Dar es Salaam.
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Crackdown on Opposition and Illegal Deportations
The criminalization of political opposition has intensified. In Kenya, opposition leaders face harassment and arrests for speaking out against corruption.
In Uganda, Dr. Kizza Besigye remains a frequent target of politically motivated charges, while NUP supporters endure arbitrary detention. In Tanzania, opposition figure Tundu Lissu was arrested for demanding electoral reforms.
Activists also exposed illegal cross-border deportations, where refugees and dissidents are forcibly returned to countries where they face persecution—a blatant violation of international non-refoulement laws.
The coalition has made a steadfast commitment to document and expose human rights violations across borders, establishing a robust framework to build regional solidarity networks that protect at-risk activists.
They demanded that the East African Community (EAC), the African Union (AU), and the international community take immediate action to halt the repression.
“We Will Not Be Silenced! We refuse to let fear and repression become normal,” the activists declared. “The lives of millions depend on our collective resistance. The time for solidarity is now. ”
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