I am seated here in my favorite coffee shop wondering which direction the wind of democracy in East Africa is blowing. In the last five years alone, it has been a humbling experience to witness all the emerging dynamics, from securing the ballot, to protests in the streets, to shared values being questioned. As a young person from this region, these and many other things have me reflecting on what precedent we are setting for the rest of the continent.

Traditionally, East Africa has been highly ranked as having democratic maturity and being a beacon of hope for civil and political rights with robust institutions to safeguard democracy. But recent events have made some question the strength of democracy in this region.

Repression and Shrinking Civic Space in East Africa

A troubling pattern is taking hold across the region. From Kenya to Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Ethiopia, a steady surge in repression is not only shrinking civic space but also is actively dismantling years of hard-won democratic gains. This is not happening in isolation. It is systematic, and it is increasingly normalized.

In Kenya, journalists and human rights defenders have faced harassment despite the provisions of chapter four of the bill of rights, which guarantees fundamental freedoms. During the 2024 and 2025 Gen-Z protests, digital authoritarianism became prominent through suppressive laws such as the cyber security law. What should have been a moment of youth civic engagement instead exposed the fragility of these freedoms. At the same time, digital tools are being used less as protective measures and more as instruments of control.

Ethiopia and Tanzania have both deployed internet shutdowns that cut off citizens from information, organizing, and dissent. In Uganda, the crackdown on women human rights defenders highlights a deeper, gendered dimension of repression where civic participation is not only restricted but also selectively targeted.

Taken together, these developments point to a dangerous trend: repression in East Africa is no longer confined within national borders. Leaders are sharing suppression tactics across countries, and those tactics are being adopted, and, in some cases, reinforcing each other.

This reality demands a shift in how we respond. If repression is becoming regional, then resistance and more importantly, solidarity must also become regional. The question is no longer whether young people should organize but rather how they can build meaningful, cross-border solidarity that is resilient, coordinated, and difficult to silence.

The Gen-Z Uprising in Kenya and Tanzania

Amid all of this chaos, there was a moment of hope that pushed East Africans to demand even more accountability. The Gen-Z movement sprouted one morning in June 2024 in the streets of Nairobi and eventually spread to the rest of Kenya’s 47 counties. A group of young people armed with water bottles, cell phones, and handkerchiefs rose up to reject the now infamous finance bill of 2024. The events that followed later were even more powerful. One key lesson was the success of digital mobilization and offline coordination: Gen-Z lawyers bailed each other out, medics provided care to protestors, and the people came together to develop and state their demands. And, for the first time in the history of Kenya, a sitting president was compelled to share dialogue on X with youth to discuss their future.

In comparison, in the recent general elections in Tanzania, youth voiced their concerns regarding the electoral process and then their dissatisfaction with the outcomes of the elections. Tanzanian Gen Z organized both digitally and offline and took to the streets to demand better governance. But they were met with resistance.

Democracy can only be fully enjoyed when the structures are supportive. In Tanzania, laws that protect certain democratic behaviors such as freedom of assembly are being ignored. While East African countries are majority democratic, they are at different levels when it comes to civic space. A glimmer of hope in Tanzania is the recruitment of youth as main electoral assistance in the election body. This demonstrates a certain level of trust with the youth of that country.

Kenya’s Niko Kadi Movement

Currently, Kenyan youth are rallying with a civic education effort called the Niko Kadi movement, which loosely translates to “I have a voting card.” Gen-Z activists are organizing their fellow youth to register as voters so that they can participate meaningfully in the 2027 general elections. At the time of this writing, the Niko Kadi movement had registered a total of one million new voters countrywide. As a young person myself, watching my generation defy the odds and mobilize through nontraditional ways to fight for democracy gives me hope.

In the 2022 general elections, the Independent and Boundaries Electoral Commission (IEBC) had raised concerns about voter apathy among Kenyan youth. While the total registered voters who were youth was about 39.8%, only a very small percentage voted. This may change with the new wave of registration.

What This Moments Demand of Africa’s Youth

The key takeaway for this moment is that the future of democracy in East Africa will depend on whether independent and political institutions are able to outgrow the influence of political party leaders who many times compromise the democratic purpose of these bodies. As noted by Thomas Jefferson: “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Democracy will require continuous citizen engagement, oversight, and participation in all aspects of democracy, not just elections. Without vigilance, institutions weaken and power will continue to be abused. AMANDLA! AWETU!

Anne Rose Osamba is a policy, gender and peacebuilding specialist, director of Uzalendo Afrika, former KF Global Fellow for Advancing Inclusive Democracies, and AU WISE youth representative advancing youth inclusion, peacebuilding, and Pan-African integration.

Resilience & Resistance is a Charles F. Kettering Foundation blog series that features the insights of thought leaders and practitioners who are working to expand and support inclusive democracies around the globe. Direct any queries to [email protected].