Martha Karua has never been one to whisper when she can shout, and today, the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader issued a searing indictment of the region’s leadership. Speaking from Nairobi, Karua warned that a "shadow of repression" is lengthening across East Africa, threatening to undo decades of hard-won democratic gains.

This is not merely political posturing; it is a red flag regarding the safety of the ordinary citizen. Karua’s warning comes at a time when the boundaries between security operations and political persecution are becoming increasingly blurred across the East African Community, leaving the mwananchi vulnerable to a state machinery that appears to be borrowing the worst tactics from its neighbors.

A Triad of Trouble

Karua drew specific attention to a disturbing pattern of synchronization between Nairobi, Dodoma, and Kampala. She observed that the tactics used to silence dissent in one capital are swiftly adopted in the others, creating what she termed a "regional playbook for autocracy."

According to the PLP leader, the regression is visible in three key areas:

• Kenya: A resurgence of unexplained abductions and the weaponization of police against peaceful protesters, echoing the dark days of the single-party era.
• Tanzania: The systematic harassment of opposition figures, despite earlier promises of political reconciliation (Maridhiano).
• Uganda: The continued militarization of civilian spaces and the stifling of the National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters.

The Cost of Silence

For the average Kenyan, this geopolitical shift hits close to home. When regional governments coordinate on repression rather than trade or infrastructure, the result is often a shrinking civic space where demanding accountability for high taxes or poor services becomes a dangerous act. Karua emphasized that silence in the face of these injustices is complicity.

"We are witnessing a conspiracy of the elites against the people," Karua noted, urging civil society and the church to reclaim their voices before the window of opportunity closes entirely. She cautioned that if the current trajectory continues, the region risks sliding back into the instability that characterized the 1980s, deterring investment and deepening poverty.

As the political temperature rises across the bloc, Karua’s message serves as a stark reminder: democracy is not a permanent state, but a fragile practice that requires constant vigilance. "The price of liberty," she concluded, "is eternal vigilance, and right now, East Africa is sleeping on the watch."