Operation Usalama Watch – Eastleigh Raids

Kenya’s aggressive counterterrorism operations have drawn sharp criticism for widespread human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detentions, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. While the government argues its security measures are vital to tackle ongoing threats, HRW warns that impunity among security forces is eroding public trust and undermining the rule of law. Human Rights Watch+1
According to the report, these abuses have been particularly pronounced during operations such as Usalama Watch, mounted in 2014 in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighborhood and Mombasa following a series of grenade and gun attacks. Human Rights Watch+1 During the operation, Kenyan forces carried out mass round‑ups, entering homes and businesses, and held thousands of people—including journalists, refugees, and aid workers—without formal charges, often in poor conditions and beyond the 24‑hour legal limit. Human Rights Watch The Anti‑Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) has been particularly implicated, with allegations stretching back to 2007 of disappearances, killings, and mistreatment of detainees. Human Rights Watch+1
Perhaps most troubling, HRW says, is the lack of accountability: despite numerous documented accusations, very few security personnel have been investigated or prosecuted. Human Rights Watch Families of those arrested report no acknowledgment of detainees’ whereabouts, suggesting enforced disappearances are ongoing. Human Rights Watch+1 Civil society groups have also come under pressure, as legislation proposed by Kenyan lawmakers appears to further weaken independent oversight and restrict media and NGO criticism of security agencies. Human Rights Watch+1
Looking ahead, HRW is calling on the Kenyan government to take urgent steps: publicly acknowledge the scale of abuses; investigate and prosecute those responsible; ensure detainees have access to their rights; and establish independent, multi‑agency mechanisms to oversee counterterrorism operations. Human Rights Watch+1 Without such reforms, HRW warns, Kenya risks entrenching a dangerous precedent—where the fight against terrorism comes at the expense of fundamental freedoms.