The Kenyan authorities paid a network of trolls to threaten and intimidate young protesters during recent anti-government demonstrations, Amnesty International has said.

A new report by the human rights organisation said government agencies also employed surveillance and disinformation to target organisers of the mass protests, which swept Kenya across 2024 and 2025.

The demonstrations were driven largely by 'Gen Z' activists who used social media platforms to mobilise.

In response to Amnesty's report, Kenya's interior minister said the government 'does not sanction harassment or violence against any citizen'.

But Amnesty said it had uncovered a campaign to 'silence and suppress' the protesters.

Young women and LGBT+ activists were disproportionately targeted, with misogynistic and homophobic comments, as well as AI-generated pornographic images, the report said.

The BBC has approached the government for further comment.

One activist told Amnesty: 'I had people coming into my inbox and telling me: 'You will die and leave your kids. We will come and attack you'.

'I even had to change my child's school. Someone sent me my child's name, the age... the school bus number plate. They told me: 'If you continue doing what you're doing then we will take care of this child for you.'

The report features a man who stated he was part of a team paid between 25,000 and 50,000 Kenyan shillings (about $190-$390; £145-£300) per day to amplify government messaging and drown out trending protest hashtags on social media platform X.

As well as digital abuse, the authorities have also been accused of carrying out a brutal crackdown on protests, with more than 100 people reported killed during police clashes with protesters in two waves of demonstrations.

The government's response has included arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and the use of lethal force against demonstrators.

Amnesty's chief Agnès Callamard stated, 'Our research also proves that these campaigns are driven by state-sponsored trolls, individuals and networks paid to promote pro-government messages.'