Martha Okumu and Elias Opongo have published a new book titled “Human Rights Advocacy against Police Brutality: Assessing the Use and Impact of Unarmed Civilian Protection“.
Excerpt from the Summary:
“The study is guided by six research questions addressing: (1) the relationship between police brutality and human rights protection in Kenya; (2) the artivist strategies applied by youth and CSOs; (3) the relative effectiveness of different artivist approaches in raising awareness and reducing police brutality; (4) the role of digital technologies in protecting communities in Nairobi and Kisumu; (5) the operational, institutional, and security challenges encountered by CSOs and artists; and (6) opportunities for improving existing artivist strategies.
[…]
The findings indicate that artivist strategies play a significant role in raising public awareness, stimulating dialogue, and mobilising communities around issues of police brutality. Digital platforms, particularly social media, were found to be critical in amplifying marginalised voices and documenting human rights violations. However, the sustainability and effectiveness of these interventions are constrained by limited financial and institutional resources, societal resistance, and heightened
safety risks faced by artists and activists.
The study contributes to emerging scholarship on Unarmed Civilian Protection in non-war civic contexts, highlighting artivism as a culturally grounded and practically relevant strategy for human rights advocacy and police accountability. It also bridges scholarly analysis with the lived practice of civil society organisations, recognising CSOs as both practitioners and producers of knowledge in advancing nonviolent protection strategies. This intersection underscores the value of practice-informed research in shaping more contextually grounded and actionable approaches to human rights advocacy. It recommends fostering sustained police–community dialogue, investing in safe spaces and protection mechanisms, strengthening the capacities of youth and artists, and enhancing multi-stakeholder collaboration to improve the effectiveness and durability of nonviolent protection strategies. Overall, the findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and civil society actors seeking to promote human rights and reduce police brutality in Kenya.