We won’t be silenced, activists say amid claims of intimidation ahead of 2027 polls
Human rights activists in Kenya report a systematic campaign of intimidation and surveillance ahead of the 2027 General Election. Victims describe being profiled and harassed, which has fostered deep mistrust within the activist community.
Why it matters
The shrinking of civic space and intimidation of activists raises concerns about the integrity and freedom of the upcoming electoral process.
Former Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo is flanked by civil society actors at the Muthangari Police Station when they collectively condemned the shrinking civic space and urged authorities to put an end to goonism on Monday /ABDIMALIK ADOW
For weeks, JO says he has been unable to walk to his office or attend public meetings without feeling watched.
He is among dozens of human rights defenders and activists who say they have become targets of what civil society leaders describe as a systematic campaign to silence dissent ahead of the 2027 General Election.
For Betty Waithera, a survivor of police brutality and abduction, the pressure has been deeply personal.
She says she has been profiled and repeatedly summoned to peace and security meetings whenever political tensions escalate.
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