KHALID: Alliance in cross-border repression endangers East African freedom

Missing activists Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi / HANDOUT

Across East Africa, a disturbing trend whereby a coordinated assault on fundamental freedoms transcends borders is taking shape. The latest case of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, abducted in Kampala on October 1 by armed men believed to be security agents, is yet another reminder that repression is becoming regionalised.

These two Kenyan citizens, known for their activism and solidarity with Ugandan democracy movements, were picked up in broad daylight and disappeared without a trace.

Their abduction is not an isolated incident - it is part of a growing pattern of cross-border violations that mock justice and trample on the spirit of the East African Community.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania - once envisioned as the torchbearers of a united and democratic East Africa - now appear to be bound by a different kind of an alliance, hell-bent on repression. Instead of exchanging best practices in governance, transparency and human rights, the three governments are seemingly sharing worst practices in silencing dissent, shrinking civic space and crushing public accountability.

What was once a region celebrated for its hope, vibrancy and youthful democratic aspirations is now fast turning into a corridor of fear. The borders that were meant to unite us through trade, cultural exchange and integration have become highways for political persecution and extrajudicial operations. Activists, journalists and opposition figures who flee persecution in one country increasingly find themselves hunted, abducted or rendered back across borders by coordinated state machinery.

We have seen this before. The illegal rendition of Dr Kizza Besigye, one of Uganda’s most prominent opposition leaders, remains a haunting reminder of how easily political power can abuse regional cooperation frameworks. Boniface Mwangi and Agatha Atuahire are other examples of a Kenyan and a Ugandan enduring torture in Tanzania.

None of these violations has ever been investigated or punished by the states. This impunity has emboldened the perpetrators and sent a chilling message across the region that the state can silence you anywhere, anytime, without consequence.

The abduction of Njagi and Oyoo fits squarely into this disturbing pattern. It represents a clear violation of international law, the EAC Treaty and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, all of which have been signed by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. These instruments obligate states to uphold the rule of law, respect the rights of all persons within their jurisdictions and cooperate only within the framework of justice and due process.

Yet these governments are now weaponising regional cooperation not for mutual development or integration, but for mutual oppression.

The EAC Treaty envisioned a union founded on “good governance, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights”. But those noble ideals are now being trampled upon.

Civil society is being criminalised, journalists are being targeted and activists are being hunted. The dream of a people-centred EAC is being replaced by the nightmare of a regime-centred alliance  - a cartel of power that prioritises control over compassion and tyranny over truth.

This growing cross-border repression not only violates individual rights but also threatens regional peace and stability. When governments collaborate to suppress voices of dissent instead of addressing the grievances behind them, they plant the seeds of resentment and rebellion. The more they criminalise civic action, the more they push citizens toward defiance. History has shown, time and again, that silenced voices eventually find louder echoes in the streets.

If the leaders of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania do not change course, they risk awakening a unified wave of resistance that transcends nationality - a people’s uprising for freedom and dignity across East Africa. The anger that fuelled Kenya’s 2024-25 Gen Z protests, the courage that sustains Uganda’s democracy activists and the resilience of Tanzania’s human rights defenders are all part of the same pulse. That pulse is growing stronger and it beats with one message: enough is enough.

The collusion among the three states’ security apparatus to share information, not for public safety but for the persecution of dissenters, marks a dangerous new chapter in East Africa’s political trajectory. It erodes trust between citizens and their governments, undermines the legitimacy of law enforcement institutions and weakens the regional project that so many fought to build.

Beyond condemnation, there is a call to action. East Africa is at a crossroads. Our region must choose between becoming a community of free and dignified citizens or a bloc of silenced subjects ruled by fear. The responsibility now rests not only with the leaders but also with the people. It is upon the citizens of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to rise, to unite and to defend their constitutions, their freedoms and their shared humanity.

The promise of East Africa was never meant to be built on tyranny. It was meant to be built on justice, equality and solidarity. That promise still lives, but only if we, the people, choose to reclaim it.