Examining Rising Repression in East Africa - Kenya: The Decline of a Sanctuary

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Erin Norris

Are All African Autocratic Leaders in the Same WhatsApp Group? Examining Rising Repression in East Africa

The political landscape in East Africa has undergone a dramatic shift. Once considered leaders in driving regional stability and democratic reform, the region’s founding countries (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) are now experiencing an upsurge of state-led repression. Rising disappearances, state-sponsored abduction, sham elections, internet shutdowns, media gags, and weaponization of the law against ordinary people and dissidents have created a borderless federation of repression. The tactics are cross-border, and the leadership support each other's efforts and protect their interests. The question for young East Africans is whether the East African autocrats are all in one WhatsApp group.

Through country-specific sessions and a culminating public conversation, this webinar series will:

• Analyze the shared rise of the authoritarian playbook across East Africa and how that mirrors other authoritarian regimes and networks globally.
• Explore how surveillance capitalism, censorship and other aspects of technology are reshaping the authoritarian landscape.
• Foster interdisciplinary discussion on the future of civic resistance, regional justice, and international accountability.
• Connect the Harvard community with leading individuals, frontline activists, legal experts, and journalists from the region.

Kenya: The Decline of a Sanctuary

Kenya has undergone a sharp rise in human rights abuses since the Gen Z uprising of 2024 with 100 protest related killings and a 450% rise in abductions in a year since the uprising. Kenya’s President William Ruto has openly admitted to allowing abductions to happen and ordered police to shoot protestors. Under his regime the country underwent its first ever internet shutdown and his government has charged hundreds of young people with frivolous terrorism and treason charges. As Kenya shifts from its former status as a democratic outlier to an enabler of regional repression and budding autocracy, a spot of hope has emerged in the form of a growing, youthful population that is tired of failed promises to create jobs, end corruption, and follow the rule of law. The focus in this discussion will be exploring the Gen Z protests, digital policing, political patronage and 2027 elections.

Speakers

John-Allan Namu is an award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and co-founder of Africa Uncensored, one of East Africa’s leading investigative media organizations. His work focuses on power, accountability, corruption, and state repression, with reporting that has driven public debate and policy scrutiny across the region. A John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, he is currently exploring new models of independent journalism and the intersection of technology, power, and civic freedoms in Africa.

Hanifa Adan is a human rights defender, journalist, and civic mobilizer working at the intersection of social justice, public accountability, and grassroots advocacy. She is committed to amplifying community voices and driving conversations that challenge power and demand change.

Moderator

Odanga Madung is a Kenyan data journalist and researcher whose work exposes how technology reshapes power, democracy, and public accountability. He is also the co-founder and Managing Director of Odipo Dev, a Nairobi-based impact and media advisory firm, he leads groundbreaking inquisitions into political participation and consumer affairs across Africa. 

Speakers and Presenters

Hanifa Safia Adan, Human Rights Defender and Journalist;
John-Allan Namu, Investigative Journalist; John S. Knight Fellow, Stanford University;
Odanga Madung, Technology and Human Rights Fellow, Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights; Investigative Journalist

Organizer

Adaptive Leadership for LGBTQI+ Movement Builders