The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has strongly condemned remarks made by Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan regarding youth activism and protests, warning that such statements risk normalising state violence and repression across the region.
In a joint press statement released on May 6, the Pan African Solidarity Network and the Pan-African Progressive Leaders Solidarity Network accused Suluhu and President Ruto of endorsing threats against democracy defenders and dissenting voices.
The statement referenced Suluhu’s remarks made in Dar es Salaam on May 4, where she used the Kiswahili phrase “nitawapiga mikwaju,” interpreted by the groups as a “I will beat them hard”. They argued that President Ruto’s presence at the event signaled support for the hardline stance.
The groups linked the remarks to events surrounding Tanzania’s 2025 elections, which they described as a period marked by arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and killings.
According to the statement, journalists, activists, and opposition figures were detained, forced into exile, or disappeared after criticizing the government.
Coalition Raises Concern Over Kenya Protest Response
The coalition further warned that similar patterns of repression have already been witnessed in Kenya during recent protests.
They cited the 2023 demonstrations over the high cost of living, the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, and the 2025 June 25 anniversary and Saba Saba demonstrations, alleging that security agencies responded with deadly force, unlawful detention, abductions, and torture.
According to the statement, open discussion of using force to “instill discipline” raises fears of more violence ahead of future protests and the 2027 General Election. The groups said they would continue pursuing justice and accountability for victims of alleged abuses across East Africa.
Rights Groups Demand Accountability and Protection of Civic Space
The coalition also criticized what it termed an “autocratic alliance” between governments in the region, accusing leaders of portraying young people as a threat in order to justify repression.
They maintained that youth activism and demands for accountability are protected constitutional rights that do not require permission from political leaders.
In the statement, the groups demanded that Suluhu and Ruto retract their remarks, publicly apologize, and guarantee non-repetition of statements perceived to encourage violence against civilians.
They also called for an end to extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and restrictions on civic space.
The organisation further said African democratic standards should be guided by instruments such as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, rather than the positions of individual leaders.
