194 Civil Society Groups Raise Alarm Over 'Escalating' Attacks on Civic Space

Kenya, July 13 , 2026 - A coalition of 194 civil society organisations has accused the government of orchestrating a sustained campaign of intimidation, harassment and unlawful actions against human rights defenders and accountability groups, warning that Kenya's democratic space is under increasing threat. In a joint statement issued on Monday, the organisations condemned what they described as an escalating pattern of surveillance, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and harassment targeting The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA), its Executive Director Diana Gichengo and other members of the Okoa Uchumi campaign. The organisations claimed recent events point to a growing crackdown on civic actors advocating for transparency and public finance accountability. "We are witnessing a chilling regression towards dark-era police-state tactics specifically targeting defenders of public finance integrity and civic space," the statement read.