Cases in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania raise fear of regional trend

Kenya was injured by a recent wave of repression, which led to its reputation as a beacon of democracy in East Africa.

Critics are afraid that it will slip on the path of its neighbors – Uganda and Tanzania, both of which are famous for the opposition.

Kenya’s laws are widely more progressive – especially in protecting basic freedoms such as the right to protest.

But Kenya witnessed an increasing campaign on the protests – the last example is At least 10 people were killed in the country’s demonstrations against the government of President William Roto While I tried to ban television and radio coverage for the protests.

The rogue regime – the title of the respectable Kenya newspaper was announced, as it indicated that the youth flooded the streets on the memory of a challenge for those who shot them a year ago in anti -tax demonstrations, but “instead of the ears of listening, biopsy with hard wires, armor weapons, and the cold car of the bow.”

With regard to Interior Minister Kepshomba Murkensin, the police showed a “remarkable arrest” because they thwarted a “coup attempt.”

He said, “We condemn the criminal anarchists who fired our people, on charges of attacking the police stations,” looting, sexual assault and destruction of our people. “

However, the LSK Law Association (LSK) condemned the police for dealing with the protest.

She said, “The unnecessary aggression and the brute force that reached its climax in the meaningless loss in life and the meaningless destruction of property has no place in a free democratic society.”

The campaign came after weeks only A 31 -year -old blogger and teacher, Albert Oujuang, died in the police seizure. He was arrested after he was accused of the ventilation of a senior police officer – and he died in the detention of the wounds of the attack, according to the autopsy.

His death sparked a small protest in the capital, Nairobi, on which the police had passed, and the street seller, who was arrested in the cross -off – who shot the near -term, for his life in the hospital.

LSK condemned the shooting that it is not suitable for “any rational democracy.”

It brought her comment in the sharp focus on the fact that Kenya risks the loss of its position as a democracy that many Tanzanians and Ouaris – and inspired.

Tanzanian political analyst Nikudmos Mindy said that there was a “estimate” for a long time between the Tanzanians of the Kenyan’s ability to “speak the truth to power.”

The view of the leading opposition leader in Tanzania Lesu, who told BBC last year, was “not pressing for democratic reform.”

“What Kenya did to build its democratic area is something that we need to do,” he said.

After miraculously survived an assassination attempt after shooting 16 times in 2017, he became not a symbol of the suppression of the state in Tanzania.

He is currently detained, accused of betrayal In order to mobilize his supporters under the slogan “No reform, no elections.”

The government saw that this is an attempt by Leso to launch a rebellion – and it risks the death sentence if he was convicted.

The 57-year-old opposition leader sees his arrest as an attempt by the CCM party-who was in power since independence in 1961-to clarify his way to victory in the presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in October.

This perception was strengthened by the fact that the Chadima Party was It was prevented from competing for the survey After she refused to sign an electoral behavior code, she believed that she would undermine her right to campaigns.

The opposition in Uganda sees itself in a similar situation, noting that Prime Minister Uri Museini was in power for nearly 40 years, and – – – Along with his son, Mohuzi Kenerugaba, who heads the army He is divided into political competitors in the accumulation of elections in early 2026.

The Ugandan opposition politician, Kisa Pisigai, has been in detention since November, when the government had wanted to experience betrayal in a military court after he was accused of planning to overthrow the government – a charge that denies it.

Although Kenya has independent judicial authority and regular elections that change the hands of power, Martha Karawa – one of the most respectable human rights lawyers in the country, the former Minister of Justice and a small opposition party leader – believes that democracy is threatened in all three East African countries.

She said in a recent press conference: “We are staring at a regional crisis – not in an economic crisis, not a commercial crisis, but for democracy itself.”

Activists like her are concerned about the fact that More than 80 kenny was kidnapped last year By people who never knew themselves, raising fears that this is the latest government’s strategy to crush the opposition after protests against movements to increase taxes amid cost -cost living crisis.

There is also increasing evidence that Kenya is no longer a safe haven for the Oujndis and Tanzers, with security agencies from the three countries that apparently colluded to eliminate the opposition.

Pisigay was in Nairobi to launch a book in November, when he disappeared – Only on the surface four days after a military court in Uganda.

The government in Uganda accused him of trying to negotiate the arms deal in Kenya to launch a rebellion at home and said that he was arrested in an operation across the border that was aware of intelligence services in Kenya.

The Kenya government initially denied this, saying that it was not aware of the Ugandan operation on its soil, although the Kenya Foreign Minister told the local media recently “there were some issues” about Pessi’s visit in Kenya and “he had to go.” He did not explain.

About two months after the Besigi ordeal, Tanzanian activist Maria Sarung Zehai said she was kidnapped by armed men in Nairobi who fortunately, he fell in her after several hours.

Mrs. Tsihai said It was treated and suffocated by four attackers who forced her to enter.

“I am sure that the reason for kidnapping is to reach my social media and [because of] She said, “The function of the informants I do,” as she continued to be disappeared in asking how to open her phone.

Mrs. Tseai is a strong critic of Tanzania President Samia Soloho Hassan, and accused her government of returning “tyranny” to the country, despite promising reforms when she took office in 2021 after the death of her authoritarian predecessor, John Magofi.

Karaoa said that despite the “retreat” of democracy and human rights in East Africa, there was no great concern about this at the international level, as the African Union was “silent”, as the United Nations that provided “a discourse – does not disrupt”, while the United States – “the champion of self -freedom” was.

Tanzania deported Karawa and Kenyan activists when they traveled to the country in May to show solidarity with LesuWhile Kenyan activist Bonifas Mwanji and Ugandan lawyer Agath Atur were arrested after being allowed to enter.

After their release, Both accused the Tanzanian police of sexually abuse.

Tanzania police denied this accusation, but amid the detention and deportation of foreign activists, President Samia issued a flagrant warning.

She said: “If they are contained in their country, let them not come here to intervene. Let’s not give them a chance. They have already created chaos in their country.”

To panic, Kenya Roto’s president failed to condemn the alleged abuse and instead, he apologized to the Tanzanian government.

“For our neighbors from Tanzania, if we make a mistake in any way, forgive us,” he said.

“If there is anything that the Kenyans did, this is not true, then we want to apologize.”

Macharia Munene, a Kenyan professor in international relations, told BBC that Roto’s apology stems from “his failure to keep people [Kenyans] In choice.

He added that the Tanzanian government has become “tense” for the potential impact of Kenyan activists in the October elections, with the Roto government under the pressure of “containing rioters.”

For Kenyan activists, the increasing repression in the three countries has strengthened just their intention to fight.

Mr. Mwanji, one of the most prominent human rights activists in Kenya, summarized her by saying: “If these people are united in the suppression of their citizens, we must unite in fighting to remove them from power.”