Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

A regional society of lawyers has condemned abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings allegedly committed by police, sounding the alarm about a disturbing rise in human rights violations.

Countries in the East African region are violating human rights by targeting political dissidents, government critics, activists, journalists, and young people protesting against bad governance, said the East Africa Law Society (EALS).

The EALS condemned what they said were widespread abuses and called for urgent measures to address them.

The body cited troubling trends in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and other East African nations, where victims of state-sponsored violence remain unaccounted for.

“In the Republic of Kenya alone, there have been over 82 cases of abductions since the historic Gen-Z led demonstrations in June 2024,” said EALS president Ramadhan Abubakar Mukira in a statement.

“In [December] alone, the country has seen 13 abductions and 29 of the 82 abductees are still unaccounted for.”

In Tanzania, reports revealed a spate of attacks on opposition figures, political activists, and young people. Notable incidents include the murder of opposition figure Ally Kibao, the abduction of opposition official Aisha Machano, and acid attacks targeting activists.

Endemic torture

Mukira said Uganda continues to grapple with endemic torture and the use of illegal detention facilities, known as “safe houses”.
The recent cross-border abduction of opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye from Nairobi and his subsequent arraignment in a Ugandan military court has heightened concerns about regional complicity in political repression, he added.

Countries like Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also grappling with severe human rights violations.

“In South Sudan, ongoing conflict has exacerbated abuses, while in Somalia and the DRC, state and non-state actors engage in widespread violence against civilians,” Mukira said.