Rights groups link goons’ attack on budget forum to rising assault on civic space

Human rights organisations have condemned the violent disruption of a public forum on the 2026/27 national budget in Nairobi by armed and unidentified individuals, saying the incident is part of a growing pattern of attacks targeting civil society groups and human rights defenders.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Defenders Coalition expressed concern over what it described as persistent and coordinated attacks against civil society organisations, human rights defenders (HRDs) and staff of human rights institutions across the country.

The latest incident occurred on June 12 at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi, where more than 100 people, including staff from the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Transparency International-Kenya, The Institute for Social Accountability, human rights defenders and members of the public, had gathered to discuss the national budget presented in Parliament a day earlier.

According to the Coalition, the meeting was disrupted by armed and unidentified individuals who attacked participants, raising fears over the safety of civic actors carrying out their work.

"The attacks are highly coordinated ploys to harass, intimidate and subdue the voice of civil society when they are conducting their lawful work," the Coalition said.

The organisation linked the incident to a series of recent attacks against civic actors. It cited an alleged unlawful entry by law enforcement officers into the Mathare Social Justice Centre on June 11, where human rights defenders were preparing to launch a publication examining liberation movements and resistance to governance and fiscal policies.

The Coalition also recalled a July 2025 incident in which armed and masked individuals stormed KHRC offices during a press briefing by mothers of police brutality victims, assaulting activists, destroying property and issuing threats.

Expressing concern over the impact of the attacks, it warned that the incidents pose a significant threat to the work and safety of human rights defenders.

"The insecurity, if not nipped in the bud, risks plunging the country into a lawless state," the statement said.

The Coalition urged the government, citizens and international partners to strengthen protections for human rights defenders, particularly as the country nears the 2027 general election.

"Given the current precarious state of human rights, we urge all citizens, the government, and international partners to demand the protection of human rights and frontline defenders," the coalition said.