A female human rights defender I know in Nairobi will, for an unknown number of weeks, remain in a self-imposed lockdown as she fears for her life. She was trying to protect others when a powerful perpetrator turned his focus on her, seeing her as the stumbling block between himself and a survivor of sexual and gender-based violence.
She now joins the growing list of defenders across East Africa who work under constant threat, yet whose sacrifices remain unrecognised. Her case is not far from that of Ugandan activist Alexandros Marinos, who was buried the other week after years of pain and trauma inflicted by authorities in Uganda, who have since denied responsibility.
