97 extrajudicial killings, 72 torture cases documented in Kenya in 2025 - rights groups
Rights groups report 97 extrajudicial killings, 72 torture cases and other abuses in Kenya in 2025, warning of a slide toward authoritarian rule and shrinking civic and media freedoms.
A state of human rights report has revealed that Kenya is sliding towards authoritarian governance, enabled by unchecked security forces and shrinking civic freedoms.
Produced by Civicus Monitor, Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Civic Freedoms Forum (CFF-Kenya), the report documented 97 extrajudicial executions, 18 deaths in custody, 72 torture cases, 49 protest-related injuries, 16 arbitrary arrests and five enforced disappearances between January and December 2025.
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The report, "People Power Under Attack, 2025", notes that forensic analysis revealed evidence of close-range shootings, targeting from behind, and deliberate harm - all strong indicators of unlawful policing and excessive force in the period under review.
As such, patterns and trends show that the country experienced an escalating state of violence via the use of both lethal and non-lethal weapons during peaceful demonstrations, including the events of June 9, June 25 and Saba Saba, where militarised policing and widespread use of live ammunition were witnessed.
The report further highlights that protests were criminalised as protesters faced charges under anti-terrorism legislation.
"This undermined constitutional rights and due process. The right to assembly has been under serious attack, dissenting voices quashed and punished," the report says.
The organisations also took note of cross-border abductions and forced deportations that occurred in the year, saying they point to coordinated efforts to silence civic activism.
"The deportation of foreign and regional human rights defenders, including Tanzania's Maria Sarungi, Uganda's Martin Mavenjina, as well as Kenyan activists such as Bob Njagi, Boniface Mwangi, Nicholas Oyoo, and others, illustrates a growing pattern of cross-border intimidation targeting those who speak out against state excesses," it says.
Regarding media freedoms, the report cites incidents of media disruption and shutdowns, internet throttling, as well as the arrests and detention of journalists, as actions eroding press freedom and public accountability.
At the same time, the report says there were several documented cases of torture of minors that point to systemic abuse in law enforcement.
"A case in point is that of 17-year-old Felix Senet Takona, a student at Naroosura Secondary School, who was allegedly subjected to brutal torture while in police custody at Naroosura Police Station. The minor was later found with severe injuries, including burn wounds on his legs," it adds.
The report adds that persistent impunity amongst law enforcement officials, noting that accountability remained low and selective despite court rulings confirming police misconduct.
They called for an end to the misuse of anti-terror laws against protesters and urged the timely prosecution of perpetrators and an end to impunity.
"This includes command responsibility as well as individual responsibility by all state officers," the document says.
On the judicial front, the report called for the operationalisation of the National Coroners Service Act (2017), criminalisation of enforced disappearances and for Kenya to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture.
Meanwhile, the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) lauded civil society organisations (CSOs) for being vigilant and consistent in safeguarding the constitution during the period under review.
IMLU pointed to the youth's critical role in steering the call for accountability, people's power-voice, and agency and applauded the media for the great work done in 2025 to 'tell it as it is, challenging the status quo, demanding justice, and having the courage to stand up for the truth'.
"Kenya stands at a critical juncture. The documented violations reflect a dangerous slide toward authoritarian governance, enabled by unchecked security forces and shrinking civic freedoms. As the world marks International Human Rights Day, IMLU underscores that human rights are everyday essentials, central to dignity, accountability, and constitutionalism," said IMLU in a statement.
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