Amnesty International has accused Kenyan authorities of hiring online trolls to intimidate young protesters during anti-government demonstrations in 2024 and 2025. The human rights group said government agencies also used surveillance and disinformation to target organisers, many of whom were Gen Z activists mobilising through social media.
The report highlighted that young women and LGBT+ activists were disproportionately targeted with threats, misogynistic and homophobic messages, and AI-generated pornographic images. One activist reported receiving direct threats to her child’s safety, prompting her to change the child’s school.
More than 100 people were reportedly killed during the protests, which opposed proposed tax increases, rising femicide, and corruption. Amnesty said authorities also carried out arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and used lethal force against demonstrators.
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Kenya’s Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen rejected claims of state-directed harassment, stating the government “does not sanction violence against any citizen” and emphasising that officers implicated in misconduct would face investigation. Amnesty called the report evidence of a coordinated campaign to silence young activists online and offline.
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