Five Kenyans sue IG Douglas Kanja, top security chiefs over protest violence inaction
Through lawyer Stephen Musili, the petitioners allege that more than 80 people were killed and several others abducted during the 2024–2025 protests. They claim police carried out over 1,376 arbitrary arrests and injured 1,010 protesters.
A petition has been lodged before the High Court against Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) and other senior security officials over alleged failure to act on killings, abductions and brutal assaults of peaceful protesters.
Five Kenyans claim the top security bosses neglected their constitutional duty to protect lives, investigate abuses and hold perpetrators accountable.
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The petition, filed at the Milimani High Court, seeks compensation for victims of alleged police brutality during the 2024–2025 protests and an order to recover the sums from IG Kanja, his two deputies and the Director of Criminal Investigations.
The petitioners are also pushing for the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to probe and publish a report on enforced disappearances, abductions and police brutality since 2020.
They further allege that national security agencies used organised vigilante groups to suppress peaceful demonstrations, leading to protesters being injured under police protection. The petitioners accuse the officials of “deliberate inaction” and say the violations persisted despite public outcries and court orders.
“There is credible evidence of gross human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, abductions, and extrajudicial killings of Kenyan youths throughout that period for merely exercising their constitutional right under Article 37 of the Constitution,” the petition reads in part.
“Some of the people, on mere suspicions of being the planners of the protests, were arrested, tortured and released, while some were arrested, tortured and murdered.”
The petitioners, Sebastian Ochieng Onyango, Janet Mbithe Wambua, Job Omondi, Macharia Mbugua and Michael Okuto, say the accused failed to investigate alleged abuses and allowed continued violations of the Constitution. Others named in the suit include Kanja’s deputies Eliud Lagat and Gilbert Masengeli, DCI Mohammed Amin and Attorney General Dorcas Oduor.
Through lawyer Stephen Musili, the petitioners allege that more than 80 people were killed and several others abducted during the 2024–2025 protests. They claim police carried out over 1,376 arbitrary arrests and injured 1,010 protesters.
“These injuries were sustained on peaceful Kenyan youths while innocently exercising their constitutional right to demonstrate and picket,” Musili said.
“The injuries ranged from deep fractures, bullet wounds, soft tissue injuries, and inhalation of tear gas. Most of the injuries were without doubt inflicted by the security officers against the protestors.”
The petitioners say abductions and enforced disappearances have been on the rise, with perpetrators becoming bolder due to a lack of accountability. They allege that police and suspected security agents operated in balaclavas, used civilian number plates, and deployed Flexispy gadgets to intercept phone communications despite court orders outlawing such practices.
“Cases of chilling abductions, enforced disappearances, cruel, degrading, and inhumane treatment of persons were and continue to be witnessed and recorded. These daring happenings were recorded on videos and photographs,” the petition states.
The petitioners argue that as holders of critical national security offices, IG Kanja, Lagat, Masengeli and Amin bear direct responsibility for stopping and investigating alleged abuses.
“This notwithstanding, they have deliberately failed to take decisive, concrete actions to stop and to order and/or conduct an investigation into all unresolved police-related murders, abductions, and allegations of abuse that have been happening. They have further failed and/or obstructed investigations and to uphold constitutional accountability mechanisms,” Musili said.
The petition also accuses the respondents of breaching Article 75(1)(c) of the Constitution, which sets standards for the conduct of State officers, and calls for a declaration that they are jointly liable for the killings, injuries and abductions since June 2024.
The officials are further accused of failing to provide accurate public reports on deaths and disappearances, failing to ensure firearms were not misused during operations and ignoring court orders requiring officers to wear visible identification.
Court records indicate that the respondents, including IG Kanja and NPSC, have yet to file their responses.
The petition is awaiting a hearing and determination.
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