Ethiopia, Kenya score dismally in civic rights

Police officers arrest a protester along Kimathi Street in Nairobi on August 8, 2024.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

A new report released Wednesday by Civicus, a global alliance of civil society organisations, has highlighted an alarming decline in civic freedoms across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The “People Power Under Attack 2024” report reveals that 43 out of 50 countries and territories in the region have either “restricted” or “shut down” civic spaces, leaving nearly 900 million people living under political repression.