POLICE KILLINGS INCREASE BY 20% IN 2025 AMID PROTEST CRACKDOWN

There are five major highlights of this year’s 2025 Missing Voices Annual Report:

● Police killings increased by 20% from 2024
● Enforced disappearances dropped sharply by 89% compared to 2024
● June and July were the deadliest months, accounting for more than half of all killings
● Nairobi remained the deadliest county for extrajudicial killings
● Youth and young men continued to bear the brunt of police violence

Missing Voices documented a total of 131 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in 2025. Out of these, 125 were incidents of police killings, while 6 were enforced disappearances.

This represents an overall 17.6% decline in documented violations compared to 2024. However, police killings rose significantly from 104 cases in 2024 to 125 in 2025, pointing to continued concerns about the use of excessive force by law enforcement agencies.

In contrast, enforced disappearances dropped sharply from 55 cases in 2024 to 6 in 2025, an 89% decrease. While this reduction is notable, the report emphasises that the absence of a specific law criminalising enforced disappearances continues to make accountability difficult for victims’ families.

Most cases of police killings occurred during periods of public protest and demonstrations, with June and July accounting for 68 deaths, more than half (54%) of all killings in 2025. This reflects a continued pattern observed in previous years where police violence spikes during protest periods.

Nairobi County remained the leading hotspot for extrajudicial killings for the fourth consecutive year, followed by other counties that recorded lower but still concerning numbers of cases.

Young people continued to be disproportionately affected. The report shows that the age group of 19–35 recorded the highest number of victims, reinforcing concerns that youth exercising their constitutional right to protest are increasingly exposed to lethal force.

Men accounted for 90% of victims of police killings, highlighting persistent gendered patterns in the use of excessive force by security agencies.

The report further notes that shootings were the leading method used in police killings, accounting for 114 cases, raising serious questions about adherence to national and international standards on the use of force and firearms.

Despite sustained documentation and advocacy efforts, accountability remains limited. Oversight bodies such as the Independent Policing Oversight Authority continue to face resource constraints, contributing to delays in investigations and the prosecution of cases.

The coalition is also concerned about the shrinking civic space and increasing attacks on human rights defenders and protesters, trends that threaten democratic participation and the rule of law in Kenya.

Missing Voices Call for Action

Missing Voices demands that:

• Parliament enacts a law to specifically criminalise enforced disappearances or amend existing legislation to do so and ratifies the International Convention for the Protection of
• All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The law should also include recourse and reparations for victims and their families.
• The National Police Service undertakes urgent reforms on crowd control and use of force to prevent further loss of life during protests. They should also ensure the occurrence book contains documentation of all persons in police custody to facilitate rapid investigations into enforced disappearances.
• Oversight institutions, including IPOA, are adequately resourced to investigate and prosecute police abuses.
• The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions expedites cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances and develops clear investigative guidelines. They should also fast-track the development of jurisprudence on the principle of responsibility and the command responsibility.
• The Judiciary prioritises the timely resolution of police abuse of power cases and strengthens case management systems. They should also prioritise law reform to address the failure of government officials to comply with court orders requiring the production of habeas corpus cases.
• The State operationalises the National Coroners Services Act and the Prevention of Torture Act.

Missing Voices remains unbowed in its commitment to documenting violations, amplifying the voices of affected families, and advocating for justice and accountability.

This press release was circulated and published in the Kenyan Media. 

You can download the full report here