Concerns over human rights abuses in East Africa are gaining momentum in Washington, with U.S. Senator Jim Risch issuing a strong statement criticizing what he described as worsening repression across the region.
Risch, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed alarm over a spate of abductions, torture claims, and the general erosion of civil liberties warning that such trends reflect more than isolated incidents.
“These aren’t just human rights violations,” Risch posted on X. “They signal deepening state dysfunction and rising impunity. That poses a threat not only to local stability but also to U.S. strategic interests in the region.”
The senator’s remarks followed the recent detention and expulsion of Kenyan and Ugandan human rights defenders in Tanzania. The activists had traveled to observe the treason trial of Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu on May 19. Among those reportedly targeted were prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan legal advocate Agather Atuhaire.
The U.S. Bureau of African Affairs has since weighed in, urging thorough investigations into the incidents and calling for accountability from regional governments.
Risch’s warning also comes on the heels of his earlier criticism of Kenya’s growing diplomatic and economic engagement with China, signaling a broader American concern about shifting alliances and governance backsliding in East Africa.
As Washington sharpens its focus on the region, human rights are emerging not just as a moral issue, but as a bellwether of political stability and international alignment.
