Willis Otieno condemns govt’s use of terrorism charges against dissenting citizens
Prominent constitutional lawyer Willis Otieno has sharply criticised the Kenyan government for what he described as the dangerous misuse of terrorism laws to silence dissenting voices.
His remarks come amid growing concern over recent arrests of demonstrators and civil society leaders under Kenya’s anti-terror laws, actions widely criticised by human rights groups.
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Pressure now continues to mount from legal experts and civil society demanding the restoration of civil liberties and adherence to the rule of law.
In a strongly worded statement on his X account on Monday, July 21, 2025, Otieno accused the state of weaponising the law against its citizens, warning that branding peaceful protesters as terrorists marked a disturbing erosion of justice and democratic principles.
“When a state begins to hurl the charge of terrorism at its citizens, not for acts of violence, but for daring to dissent, it reveals more than just paranoia,” Otieno stated.
“It exposes a regime that no longer knows the difference between a protester and a threat, between a citizen and an enemy.”
Otieno argued that the government’s response signals desperation and fear rather than authority.
“To equate the raised voice of the governed with a bomb is to confess a fear of the truth, a fear so profound that even peaceful resistance becomes intolerable,” read the statement.
He warned that such tactics do not enhance national security but instead risk turning the state into a mirror image of what it claims to fight.
“When the language of justice is twisted into the language of suppression, the state does not defeat terrorism; it becomes its mimic,” he cautioned.
“Soon, in a land where every critic is a ‘terrorist,’ the real terrorists will find cover in the chaos.”
Otieno further condemned what he described as the erosion of legal principles and judicial integrity in the country.
“The bar of justice is not low. It has been buried. Those meant to raise it now dance upon its grave,” he lamented.
He called on the government to cease using anti-terror laws to silence opposition, emphasising that dissent is a hallmark of a healthy democracy, not a threat to national stability.
“To weaponise law against the conscience of the people is not strength. It is cowardice in uniform,” he said.
