The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has condemned the surveillance and harassment of Otsieno Namwaya, Associate Africa Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), by officers of the Kenya Police Service.

“KHRC condemns in the strongest terms the surveillance and harassment of Otsieno Namwaya, Associate Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, by officers of the Kenya Police Service, “read part of the post.

In a statement posted on X on August 30, 2025, the commission described the incidents as a “brazen act of intimidation against a human rights defender” and an “assault on Kenya’s Constitution,” highlighting concerns over attempts to silence voices exposing state abuses. The move has reignited worries about the shrinking space for civil society in Kenya under President William Ruto’s administration.

According to KHRC, Namwaya, who has documented police abuses for more than 13 years, including the use of excessive force during protests in 2024 and 2025, has been specifically targeted.

Between August 23 and 25, witnesses reported plainclothes officers from the Operation Support Unit parking vehicles at a nearby police station before monitoring Namwaya’s home. HRW has also confirmed months of attempts by government security officials to reach Namwaya through individuals known to him.

Calls for immediate action

The KHRC is demanding that the National Police Service, led by Inspector General Douglas Kanja Kirocho, “immediately cease all forms of surveillance, intimidation, and harassment of Namwaya.” The commission also urged the Ruto administration to guarantee the safety of all human rights defenders, warning that persecuting those defending rights “only deepens Kenya’s crisis of impunity and will not deter our collective struggle for justice and accountability.”

Federico Borello, interim executive director at HRW, described the surveillance as “a stark reminder of the ongoing threats and repression facing rights activists in Kenya today,” emphasizing that authorities should protect civil society rather than target it. HRW had previously written to the Inspector General on August 27 seeking clarification on any legal basis for surveillance and requesting security assurances for Namwaya and his family, but no response has been received.

Concerns

The harassment of Namwaya comes amid a wider crackdown on activists following the June 2024 protests against a controversial tax law. Human rights organizations report abductions, disappearances, and intimidation of protesters, social media influencers, and civil society members.

KHRC’s statement underscores concerns that police reform efforts since 2012 have failed to prevent abuse and highlights the pressure on Kenya’s government to ensure accountability. International partners, including the United States, have expressed concern over Kenya’s human rights record, making the treatment of Namwaya a key test of the government’s commitment to civil liberties and transparency.