In its 2016 country chapter, Human Rights Watch (HRW) raises serious concerns about Kenya’s human rights landscape, particularly noting how counterterrorism efforts have eroded fundamental liberties. According to the report, state security forces — including police, military, and intelligence units — have been implicated in enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detentions, especially in Nairobi and northeastern regions.
HRW documents at least 34 disappearances and 11 unexplained deaths of people last seen in state custody, many of them Somali-Kenyan, amid the government’s intensified war on Al-Shabaab.
Human Rights Watch
+1
The report also highlights a broader clampdown on civil society, media, and refugee rights. Prominent NGOs such as Haki Africa and MUHURI were accused of terrorism links, had their bank accounts frozen, and suffered raids, despite being cleared in court.
Human Rights Watch
At the same time, the government enforced repressive legislation to stifle dissent: laws such as the Kenya Information and Communication Act were used to arrest journalists, bloggers, and people critical of security policies.
Human Rights Watch
Meanwhile, Kenya’s treatment of Somali refugees raised alarm, as officials proposed closing the Dadaab camp despite inadequate provisions to ensure safe and voluntary return.
Human Rights Watch
On LGBT+ rights, HRW drew attention to the criminalization of same-sex relations under colonial-era penal codes. Two men arrested in Kwale County were reportedly subjected to forced anal examinations — a degrading procedure challenged in court.
Human Rights Watch
An associated civil society group, the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, battled for formal recognition, challenging state resistance to registering the organization.
Human Rights Watch
HRW’s 2016 analysis underscores a troubling pattern: Kenya’s security agenda, while framed around counterterrorism, has in practice undermined accountability and civil rights. The organization called on Kenyan authorities to investigate abuses transparently, ensure due process, and create robust mechanisms of accountability for human rights violations. Without this, HRW warns, the culture of impunity risks being entrenched — even at a time when democratic institutions and civic freedoms are most needed.