Amnesty International has accused Kenyan authorities of using abductions, arbitrary arrests, torture and surveillance to suppress dissent during protests against rising taxes and the cost of living, calling for accountability for alleged human rights violations.
In a report released on Monday, October 19, 2026, the human rights organisation documented accounts of alleged abuses against protesters, activists and journalists during demonstrations between 2023 and 2025.
The report, titled Human Rights Under Siege: Unpacking Authoritarian Practices in an Era of Economic Pressure amid Youth-Led Protests in Kenya, links the demonstrations to rising food and transport costs, increased taxes and levies, public debt, corruption, poverty, inequality and unfulfilled electoral promises.
“The findings of this report are troubling and paint a stark picture of the Kenyan government’s repressive response to real grievances affecting the day-to-day lives of ordinary people,” said George Morara, Amnesty International Kenya’s Executive Director.
He urged the authorities to address the economic grievances driving the protests, end the crackdown on dissent and ensure accountability for alleged human rights violations.
Between April and July 2026, Amnesty International researchers interviewed 102 people, including protesters, lawyers, journalists, government officials, a medic, social media influencers and civil society activists. They also reviewed parliamentary records, budgets and tax policies covering 2023 to 2025.
The report documents accounts from 102 people across five counties who said they had been arrested by police or abducted by individuals suspected of being security agents during or after the protests.
Some interviewees reported being detained for days, beaten, tortured or interrogated without legal representation. Others said they were denied access to their families.
Benjamin*, who was accused by his abductors of organising protests in Kisumu against the cost of living and controversial Finance Bill, described being taken to an undisclosed location.
“I was taken to an unknown place and locked for a night. The following day at around 11 am they stripped me naked and dumped me in a room in the middle of Chemelil sugar plantation,” he told researchers.
Another interviewee, Lawrence*, said he was abducted by unidentified individuals in Kitengela, about 30 kilometres south of Nairobi.
“I was also made to wear a mask, and I was tied with a tape. I was placed on the seat between them. They told me to tell them everything I knew about the protests, or they would deal with me. The car was speeding and after a while we arrived at a place which was quiet….We entered the place and I found myself in a room with CCTVs which had lights. I was told to take off all my clothes.”
The report also cites the account of Ken*, who said he was taken from Rongai, placed in a car boot with his head covered with a sack and driven around Nairobi and its environs while being repeatedly beaten.
Unlawful surveillance
The human rights agency said it had documented allegations of unlawful surveillance targeting protesters’ mobile phones, WhatsApp groups, discussions on X, homes and those of their relatives.
Six journalists interviewed by the organisation reported being subjected to police force, including physical assaults, tear gas, water cannons and gunfire.
Some said officers ordered them to delete footage from their cameras or confiscated their equipment, actions the report says contributed to an atmosphere of fear and restricted coverage of protests.
The organisation also cited what it described as disregard for court orders involving security agencies and the withdrawal of a judge’s security detail.
It said it had shared its findings with relevant government agencies but had received no feedback by the time of publication.
Economic hardship and concerns over public spending emerged as key drivers of the demonstrations, with 54 interviewees identifying corruption as one of the main reasons they took to the streets.
Protesters expressed frustration over alleged misuse of public funds intended for social protection and public services as food and fuel prices continued to rise.
“The issue of increasing taxes is not logical. They should deal with corruption and be accountable,” one protester said.
Another protester from Kisumu described the pressure facing ordinary households.
“Life has become so unbearable for a normal citizen. Once fuel prices are hiked automatically cost of living rises.”
The report accused Kenyan authorities of using digital surveillance and online harassment to monitor protesters, as it documented alleged abuses against young activists who took part in demonstrations across five counties – Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado, Nairobi and Kisumu between 2023 and 2025.
Some interviewees also reported being interrogated about protest organisation and their alleged financiers after arrests or abductions, suggesting that authorities were seeking information about the networks behind the demonstrations.
The demonstrations were driven by growing public anger over rising food and transport costs, increased taxes and levies, mounting public debt, corruption, poverty, inequality and unfulfilled electoral promises.
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The human rights organisation called on the government to address the economic grievances behind the protests and ensure accountability for alleged human rights violations.
“Young people are rising up to demand better use of resources, transparency and accountability. The response from the government should not and must not be violent repression,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.
“Corruption and wastage of public resources, which undermine the enjoyment of basic rights must be stemmed,” he added.
The report notes that the 2023 and 2024 Finance Bills were passed by Parliament despite widespread public opposition. Protests intensified in 2024, including demonstrations outside Parliament, while concessions made following public memoranda and petitions failed to ease opposition to the Bills and the wider economic situation.
Amnesty International called on the government to provide comprehensive reparations to victims of alleged human rights violations and their families, including financial compensation and medical assistance where appropriate.
It also urged authorities to prosecute security officers implicated in abuses and review cases involving the alleged malicious prosecution of protesters.
The organisation further called on Kenya to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
On the economic front, it urged the government to improve transparency in public debt management, increase funding for social protection to cushion vulnerable households and assess the human rights implications of economic reforms before implementing them.
“The state’s attempts to divert attention away from its failure to address its human rights obligations have not worked. Authorities must address the economic grievances underpinning the protests, end the escalating crackdown on dissent, and ensure accountability for human rights violations during the 2023 to 2025 economic and tax related protests,” Morara said.
The organisation said addressing the underlying economic grievances was essential to responding to public discontent while safeguarding the rights of protesters, journalists and other members of the public.
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