The Impact of Counter-Terrorism Legislation on Civil Society Space: A Comparative Review of Post-2015 Security Policies in East Africa

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 9, No. 10, October 2018 | pp. 964–972

DOI: 10.46882/2018/GJPCS/091001

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Impact of Counter-Terrorism Legislation on Civil Society Space: A Comparative Review of Post-2015 Security Policies in East Africa

Authors: Purity W. Kamau¹, David L. Anderson²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹School of Law, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; ²African Studies Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

Abstract:
Following high-profile insurgent attacks across East Africa, regional governments rapidly introduced stringent counter-terrorism statutes to fortify national security. This paper evaluates the structural impacts of these security laws on the operational space of independent civil society organizations (CSOs) in Kenya and Tanzania up to late 2017. Utilizing a comparative policy-discourse methodology alongside a qualitative survey of 64 localized human rights organizations, we examine the expansion of executive surveillance powers. The legal analysis demonstrates that broadly defined legal concepts within national security bills have been systematically utilized to freeze the financial assets and restrict the operational movement of legitimate humanitarian actors. Quantitative tracking reveals a 40% reduction in external donor funding for local human rights advocacy due to complex administrative compliance regulations. Our findings indicate that suppressing non-violent civil oversight groups diminishes community-level trust in state security organs, inadvertently expanding recruitment vulnerabilities for violent extremist factions. The study emphasizes that sustainable counter-terrorism policies must integrate independent legislative judicial oversight to protect constitutional civil liberties.

Keywords: Counter-Terrorism; Civil Society; East Africa; Human Rights; Security Policy; Executive Power

Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 02, 2018; Revised: June 22, 2018; Accepted: July 10, 2018; Published: October 12, 2018

Citation: Kamau, P. W., & Anderson, D. L. (2018). The Impact of Counter-Terrorism Legislation on Civil Society Space: A Comparative Review of Post-2015 Security Policies in East Africa. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 9(10), 964–972. DOI: 10.46882/2018/GJPCS/091001

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