New data released by Missing Voices highlights a sobering reality regarding police accountability and extrajudicial violence in Kenya over the last five years.
Between 2021 and 2025, the country has seen fluctuating but consistently high numbers of police-related fatalities and enforced disappearances, with a disproportionate impact on male citizens.
The 2025 Annual Report reveals that while police killings saw a steady decline from a peak of 185 in 2021 to 104 in 2024, the trend reversed this past year.
In 2025, fatalities rose to 125, marking a troubling uptick in lethal force. Conversely, enforced disappearances reached a five-year low in 2025 with only 6 reported cases, a significant drop from the 55 cases recorded just one year prior and the 34 cases documented in 2021.
A stark gender disparity remains the most defining characteristic of these incidents. Men account for 90% of all victims, appearing far more vulnerable to police violence than women. This vulnerability is compounded by a noted lack of public backlash when men are the targets, which experts suggest reduces the pressure for systemic reform and accountability.
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