Kenya Urged to Strengthen Human Rights Safeguards Ahead of 2027 Elections

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Kenya has been urged to urgently strengthen human rights protections ahead of the 2027 General Election to prevent electoral violence and democratic regression witnessed in several African countries.

This call was made during the National Symposium on Human Rights and the Ballot in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities, held on December 16, 2025, at the Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi. The forum was convened under the theme “Securing Human Rights Before the Ballot: Lessons for Kenya 2027.”

The symposium brought together human rights defenders, election experts, civil society actors and legal practitioners to examine pre-election human rights trends in Tanzania, Uganda and Cameroon, and to draw lessons to strengthen Kenya’s electoral preparedness.


 Speaking during the symposium Director  Chapter IV Institute Njeri Kabeberi warned that shrinking civic space, political repression and weakened electoral institutions across Africa posed serious risks to Kenya’s democratic stability if left unaddressed.

“Across Africa, pre-election periods are increasingly marked by arrests of opposition leaders, restrictions on freedoms and manipulation of institutions. Kenya must take deliberate steps now to prevent a similar trajectory,” Kabeberi said.

She cited developments in Uganda, Tanzania and Cameroon, noting that the imprisonment of opposition leaders, suppression of dissent and erosion of electoral credibility had undermined public trust and weakened democratic norms across the region.

Kabeberi also raised concerns over recent incidents of violence, arrests and alleged abductions witnessed during youth-led protests in Kenya in 2024 and 2025, warning that such trends could escalate during the election period if corrective measures are not taken.

She emphasized the constitutional mandate of Chapter Fifteen institutions, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), to operate independently and safeguard the Constitution.

“Once appointed, these institutions must rise above political interests and defend the Constitution. If office holders are unable to do so, they should step aside,” she said, urging citizens to hold independent institutions accountable.

Ogada, an advocate and Chair of the Rule of Law Committee at the East Africa Law Society, cautioned that unresolved electoral violence and political intimidation witnessed during recent by-elections could undermine the credibility of the 2027 polls.
“If these acts are repeated on a national scale, Kenya risks sham elections rather than a genuine democratic exercise,” Ogada warned.

He called for impartial enforcement of the law, accountability for perpetrators of electoral violence, and respect for the independence of the IEBC and security agencies.

Ogada further reminded election officials of their constitutional oath, warning that negligence, misconduct or complicity in rights violations could expose them to future criminal liability.

Participants at the symposium agreed that safeguarding human rights before the ballot is critical to ensuring peaceful, credible and democratic elections in 2027.

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