Kenya’s position as a regional technology leader is under threat as growing state control over online spaces erodes fundamental freedoms, a new report warns.

The State of Internet in Kenya: 2020–2024 report by the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE), released on Thursday, says legislative measures and state actions in recent years have steadily undermined citizens’ digital rights.

According to the report, laws such as the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (CMCA) have been turned into tools for silencing dissent.

“Repressive laws like the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (CMCA) have been weaponised to criminalise online speech, leading to the harassment and arrest of bloggers, journalists and activists,’’ it states.

BAKE documents incidents where online critics faced abductions and, in some cases, death for expressing views against political leaders.

The report also cites the government’s use of internet shutdowns and throttling during moments of public unrest, such as the #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests, as a sharp shift from Kenya’s tradition of relatively open internet access.

“The government’s use of internet shutdowns and throttling during periods of public dissent, such as the #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests, is a particularly alarming trend that marks a departure from Kenya’s history of relatively open internet access,’’ it reads in part.

The lobby warns that these actions not only infringe on the right to freedom of expression but also trigger heavy economic losses. As a result, Kenya’s global digital rights ranking has dropped to position 78—ten places lower than in 2019.

While the country was listed among the top 10 African nations in the new Digital Rights Score Index of the 2024 Londa report by the pan-African digital rights group Paradigm Initiative (PIN), it was also named among countries that imposed internet shutdowns in 2024, alongside Comoros, Mauritius, and Mozambique.

The Londa report, launched at the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF), assessed the state of digital rights and freedoms in 27 African countries.

South Africa, Ghana, Zambia, Namibia, and Rwanda lead the index, with Nigeria, Senegal, Malawi, Tunisia, and Kenya rounding off the top 10.

Rankings are based on compliance with human rights principles outlined in the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.

Despite these challenges, the BAKE report notes that Kenya’s digital sector has undergone remarkable growth in the past five years.

The country has expanded connectivity, built a vibrant digital economy, and nurtured a growing ecosystem of start-ups and online creators.

However, the period has also been defined by increased state surveillance, censorship, and overreach, which the report says directly threaten digital freedoms.