What You Need to Know
Amnesty International’s report reveals that Kenyan authorities paid trolls to intimidate young protesters during recent anti-government demonstrations. The report highlights the use of surveillance and disinformation tactics against activists, particularly targeting women and LGBT+ individuals. Despite government denials, evidence suggests a coordinated effort to suppress dissent and silence young.
Africa. The Kenyan authorities paid a network of trolls to threaten and intimidate young protesters during recent anti-government demonstrations, Amnesty International has said.
A new report by the human rights organization stated that government agencies also employed surveillance and disinformation to target organizers of the mass protests, which swept Kenya across 2024 and 2025.
The demonstrations were driven largely by “Gen Z” activists who used social media platforms to mobilize.
In response to Amnesty’s report, Kenya’s interior minister stated that the government “does not sanction harassment or violence against any citizen.”
However, Amnesty claimed it had uncovered a campaign to “silence and suppress” the protesters.
Young women and LGBT+ activists were disproportionately targeted, facing misogynistic and homophobic comments, as well as AI-generated pornographic images, according to the report.
One activist told Amnesty: “I had people coming into my inbox and telling me: ‘You will die and leave your kids. We will come and attack you.’
“I even had to change my child’s school. Someone sent me my child’s name, age, and the school bus number plate. They told me: ‘If you continue doing what you’re doing, then we will take care of this child for you.'”
It has long been believed that the government employs a network of individuals, known as “keyboard warriors,” to push its online messages.
The report features a man who said he was part of a team paid between 25,000 and 50,000 Kenyan shillings (about $190-$390; £145-£300) per day to amplify government messaging and drown out trending protest hashtags on social media platform X.
As part of its research, Amnesty spoke to 31 young human rights defenders who had participated in the protests. Nine of these activists reported receiving violent threats via X, TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
In addition to digital abuse, the authorities have also been accused of carrying out a brutal crackdown on the protests.
More than 100 people died, according to rights groups, when police clashed with protesters during two waves of demonstrations—one in 2024 and one in 2025.
The authorities were also accused of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and using lethal force against the protesters.
The government acknowledged that there had been some cases of excessive force by police but defended the security forces in other instances.
The demonstrations protested issues such as proposed tax increases, rising femicide, and corruption.
Amnesty chief Agnès Callamard stated that the organization’s report “clearly demonstrates widespread and coordinated tactics on digital platforms to silence and suppress protests by young activists.”
“Our research also proves that these campaigns are driven by state-sponsored trolls, individuals and networks paid to promote pro-government messages and dominate Kenya’s daily trends on X,” she added.
Kenya’s Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said: “The government of Kenya does not sanction harassment or violence against any citizen… any officer implicated in unlawful conduct bears individual responsibility and is subject to investigation and sanction.”
Amnesty also raised concerns about unlawful state surveillance, including allegations—denied by Kenya’s largest telecom provider, Safaricom—that authorities used mobile data to monitor protest leaders.
Kenya has a history of political unrest, particularly among youth who have increasingly mobilized through social media to voice their grievances. The recent protests, driven by Gen Z activists, reflect widespread discontent over issues such as corruption, tax increases, and violence against women. The government’s response has often included heavy-handed tactics, raising concerns about human rights violations.
In recent years, the role of digital platforms in activism has grown, with young people using these tools to organize and advocate for change. However, this has also led to increased government scrutiny and attempts to undermine these movements through disinformation and intimidation.