Counter-terrorism expert Mutemi criticises State over terror charges on youths
By Kiprono Keileb, August 22, 2025Counter-terrorism expert Neema G. Mutemi has faulted the State for what she described as a dangerous and unfair profiling of young people during protests, warning that slapping them with terrorism charges reflects misplaced priorities in handling dissent.
Speaking on a local radio talk show on Friday, August 22, 2025, Mutemi said the treatment of youths during last year’s demonstrations revealed a troubling pattern in the State’s response to legitimate grievances.
“There is a big problem with how we profile our young people; how young people are profiled has a lot to do with the kind of charges we comfortably confer onto them, like a matter that was in public interest,” she said.
Mutemi recalled how demonstrations erupted after reports that a young person had died in police custody, sparking anger among communities already mourning others killed during earlier protests. Instead of addressing these concerns, she said, authorities resorted to using the most severe charge in the book.
“Young people were in the streets because a young person had just died in police custody & a number of them had been killed by police in the streets. How did the State respond to that? They charged them with terrorism,” Mutemi explained.
She questioned the message that such actions send about governance and the State’s perception of its citizens.
“What is that threat of violence that the message conferred about the State? I think that’s where we have to start,” she added.
The expert argued that misusing terrorism charges against protesting youths not only undermines counter-terrorism efforts but also deepens mistrust between the government and citizens.
“Young people were in the streets because a young person had died in police custody, and a year ago, a number of them had been killed by police in the streets; that is what we have to remember as the genesis of protest in 2025!” Mutemi stressed.
Her remarks come at a time when security agencies face mounting criticism for excessive force, arbitrary arrests, and failure to distinguish between criminal acts and legitimate political expression.
By spotlighting the voices of young people, Mutemi urged the State to engage constructively instead of criminalising dissent. She warned that continued misuse of terror laws risks alienating an entire generation and weakening the country’s fight against genuine security threats.