Police Brutality Stories

IPOA launches ambitious strategic plan to transform policing in Kenya
Mary Wambui  |  Sep 17, 2025

Chief Justice Martha Koome said the plan is a reaffirmation of the country's constitutional journey that was embarked on in 2010, to entrench accounta...

IPOA faults police for ignoring protest-related deaths
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Sep 16, 2025

The report further criticises predictable clashes between police and protest organisers, pointing out that officers often refuse to accept formal noti...

Victims of police brutality can pursue damages even as cases continue, court rules
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Sep 16, 2025

The ruling stems from the case of Anjlee Parveen Kumar Sharma, whose husband, businessman Bunty Bharat Kumar Shah, was shot dead by police at their We...

Fear and mistrust keep police abuse victims silent, report finds
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Sep 11, 2025

The study paints a grim picture of public confidence in criminal justice institutions, with only 14.3 per cent of respondents saying they trusted the...

IPOA launches probe into fatal shooting of two boda boda riders by DCI officer in Thika
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Sep 09, 2025

On Monday, Gitonga was arraigned at the Kiambu Law Courts, where IPOA sought a 21-day custodial order to complete its investigation.

International Justice Mission unhappy with debate over Ruto's police victims compensation team
Barack Oduor  |  Sep 09, 2025

LSK President Faith Odhiambo echoed the call for accountability, saying that cases involving police officers and those in authority should be expedite...

Nearly 43 per cent of Kenyans report police abuse, study shows
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Sep 09, 2025

The Justice System Response to Police Accountability report by International Justice Mission Kenya engaged 5,700 participants across nine counties thr...

Justice and Equity Commission hails police brutality ruling, calls for immediate action
Carolyne Kubwa  |  Sep 09, 2025

JEC hailed a recent High Court decision awarding compensation to victims of police brutality and unlawful detention, terming it a "landmark ruling" in...

Justice and Equity Council backs suspension of Ruto’s compensation panel
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Sep 09, 2025

In a statement, the group urged courts to fast-track cases related to police accountability, including petitions seeking reparations for victims of ab...

Human Rights Watch official Otsieno Namwaya says police target him instead of rights abusers
Barack Oduor  |  Sep 09, 2025

Speaking exclusively to The Eastleigh Voice on Monday, Namwaya alleged he was facing harassment and intimidation because of his work.

LSK President Faith Odhiambo vows victim-centred justice for protest and riot victims
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Sep 04, 2025

Odhiambo recounted her encounters with families of victims still waiting for justice, including baby Pendo, killed during a midnight police operation...

Ombudsman and IPOA launch joint framework to address police conduct concerns
Mary Wambui  |  Sep 03, 2025

In a joint statement, the organisations said the initiative seeks to strengthen the resolution of citizens’ complaints on public service delivery as w...

Hussein Khalid: Police brutality, rights violations persist 15 years after 2010 Constitution
Barack Oduor  |  Aug 28, 2025

According to Hussein, the implementation of the Constitution promulgated in August 2010 has been fraught with challenges, as the state has consistentl...

KHRC calls for disbandment of Ruto’s protest victims compensation framework
Lucy Mumbi  |  Aug 21, 2025

KHRC proposed that the mandate be given to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPO...

Police officers under fire as family rejects autopsy report on man’s death inside Kenol station
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Aug 20, 2025

Family spokesperson Julius Ngugi said the post-mortem findings did not align with what they observed when they viewed the body.

Gen Z protest victim finally has bullet removed after 14-month ordeal
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Aug 15, 2025

He was shocked to learn he had carried it for more than 400 days, contrary to Kenyatta National Hospital’s claim that fragments had been removed durin...

US report raises alarm over deterioration of human rights in Kenya
Mary Wambui  |  Aug 14, 2025

The annual report notes that in response to nationwide protests in June and July, authorities committed numerous abuses, and took steps to identify an...

10 Kenyans died in police custody in last five months, Murkomen tells MPs
Mary Wambui  |  Aug 13, 2025

Mukomen said daily cell inspections are now conducted by senior officers to ensure the safety, cleanliness and welfare of detainees with all observati...

Five Kenyans sue IG Douglas Kanja, top security chiefs over protest violence inaction
Lucy Mumbi  |  Aug 13, 2025

Through lawyer Stephen Musili, the petitioners allege that more than 80 people were killed and several others abducted during the 2024–2025 protests....

Family rejects police suicide account in Kenol station death
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Aug 13, 2025

According to the officer, Mwangi allegedly “sneaked” into the police station, entered one office, then moved into another, locked himself inside, and...

Mombasa civil society groups demand justice beyond Ruto’s compensation pledge
Farhiya Hussein  |  Aug 11, 2025

Haki Africa Executive Director Yusuf Abubakar described the compensation plan as a positive first step but said it would be meaningless without holdin...

Families of victims of police brutality welcome Ruto's compensation move
Barack Oduor  |  Aug 11, 2025

Rex Masai’s name came to symbolise martyrdom; he was the first casualty of a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests against the 2024 Finance Bill, an e...

Ruto announces 120-day compensation framework for protest victims
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Aug 08, 2025

The framework aims to bring accountability and offer redress to both civilians and security officers affected during these demonstrations.

Calls grow to disband Kenya’s police service over corruption, brutality and failed reforms
Lucy Mumbi  |  Aug 06, 2025

Vocal Africa, a civil rights advocacy group, stated that the police force has become a symbol of impunity and should be replaced by a devolved structu...

Third member of 'FBI movement' arrested in Meru
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Aug 01, 2025

Kimathi is said to have emerged voluntarily, after which he was handcuffed and escorted into a police vehicle before being driven away to an undisclos...

LSK faults IPOA over inaction, urges tougher oversight, compensation for police brutality victims
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jul 29, 2025

LSK President Faith Odhiambo criticised IPOA for lacking transparency and only acting when pressured, saying it has become part of a justice system th...

LSK slams police for selectively disrupting opposition events, cites breach of rights
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jul 29, 2025

LSK President Faith Odhiambo said the police are now openly deciding who can assemble and who cannot, an act she termed a blatant violation of Article...

Two police constables sentenced to 35 years for torturing, killing suspect in 2020
Mary Wambui  |  Jul 29, 2025

The victim, then aged 21, had an altercation with the constables in Mbururu town on October 4, 2020, during which members of the public intervened to...

CS Murkomen defends police conduct during protests, urges IPOA to hold off judgement
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 26, 2025

Murkomen faulted IPOA for appearing to side with narratives that overlook the actions of violent groups during the unrest.

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