Kenya Kwanza under fire: Civil groups decry killings, graft and constitutional violations

Civil society organisations have accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of undermining the Constitution and eroding human rights three years into its rule, pointing to state-sanctioned violence, rampant corruption, and the weakening of independent institutions.

Groups such as the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) are now demanding independent audits of government projects and tenders, as well as investigations into all killings, disappearances, and torture cases reported since 2022.

In a joint statement on Thursday, Article 19 Eastern Africa, Haki Yetu, Transparency International Kenya, and other advocacy bodies said the government’s initial promise of a “people-centred” administration had collapsed into authoritarian practices that threaten democracy and citizens’ rights.

“Despite gestures of reform, the regime has repeatedly defied court orders and created unconstitutional offices and bodies. The President branded judicial officers as ‘cartels’ and openly declared that no courts of law would stand in his way,” the groups said.

Unconstitutional actions

Courts have intervened to block unconstitutional actions, including the gazettement of seven IEBC commissioners and to compel disclosure of debt contracts. However, the organisations noted that authorities ignored these rulings.

They criticised Parliament for passing punitive laws, such as the Affordable Housing Levy and retrogressive Finance Bills, and warned that efforts to extend presidential terms and curtail freedom of assembly had entrenched authoritarianism.

The statement further condemned the politicisation of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), noting that corruption cases involving President William Ruto’s allies—Henry Rotich, Wycliffe Oparanya, and Aisha Jumwa—had been dropped, while ordinary citizens faced fabricated charges for protesting. According to the groups, at least 75 protesters have been slapped with terrorism charges, while over 450 others, including minors, face serious criminal charges.

“Since 2022, state security forces have inflicted deadly violence on citizens. At least 246 people have been killed by police under the Kenya Kwanza regime, though the actual numbers are likely higher due to evidence tampering,” the groups said.

Gen Z demonstrations

They cited the July 2023 tax protests in which 51 people were killed within five days, and the 2024 Gen Z-led demonstrations that left at least 63 dead, 601 injured, 1,765 arbitrarily arrested, and 82 forcibly disappeared. By September 2025, they added, a further 65 deaths, 355 unlawful arrests, and three disappearances had been documented.

Civil society organisations also raised alarm over reprisals against human rights defenders and media censorship. They accused the Communications Authority of Kenya of disrupting live protest coverage and said civic groups and donors supporting citizen participation had been harassed. Kenya has since been rated “repressed” by CIVICUS Monitor, signalling severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.

On public debt, the groups noted that Kenya’s borrowing had risen by Sh2.9 trillion, from Sh8.6 trillion in June 2022 to Sh11.5 trillion in June 2025, while development spending remained under 10 per cent—well below the constitutional threshold of 30 per cent.

“Part of the borrowed funds has been wasted on lavish travel, both domestic and abroad, instead of financing health and education,” reads the statement.

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• graft and constitutional violations

They highlighted several scandals under the Kenya Kwanza government, including Sh6.6 billion lost in edible oil imports, Sh3.7 billion in irregular KEMSA malaria net procurement, Sh3.5 billion in a fake fertiliser scheme, and hundreds of millions siphoned from the National Youth Service and Kenya Pipeline Company. Transparency International ranked Kenya 121st globally in 2024, with a score of 32 out of 100.

Despite this bleak picture, the groups welcomed citizen vigilance and court interventions, saying these reflected the resilience of Kenyans in defending the Constitution. They urged the government to immediately respect the rule of law by complying with all court orders, and called on Parliament to withdraw retrogressive bills such as the Assembly and Demonstration Bill (2024) and the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill (2024).

The organisations demanded an end to the politicisation of the ODPP, the reinstatement of dropped corruption cases, and full financial, political, and operational independence for constitutional bodies.

Protect civic space

They also called for the protection of civic space, including guarantees for free media and the right to protest, alongside independent investigations into all killings, disappearances, and torture since 2022, with perpetrators held accountable under United Nations mechanisms.

Additionally, the groups pressed the Auditor General to conduct special audits on all Kenya Kwanza programmes, such as the Affordable Housing and Hustler Fund projects, and urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to independently investigate tenders and corruption claims involving conflict of interest and misappropriation.

The statement was signed by ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa, Haki Yetu, Initiative for Inclusive Empowerment (IIE), Accountability TISA, Transparency International Kenya, Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), PEN Kenya, Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), Midrift Hurinet, Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi! Defenders Coalition, Centre for Enhancing Tribeless Youth Governance (CEDGG), Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Iituo cha Sheria, and InformAction.