Kenya’s 2025 calendar was marked by a chilling escalation in police-led fatalities, with extrajudicial killings peaking sharply during periods of intense civil unrest.
Data from the Missing Voices 2025 Annual Report reveals a total of 125 lives lost across the year, highlighting a volatile relationship between state security forces and public demonstrations.
The first half of the year maintained a relatively low, albeit consistent, baseline of fatalities, fluctuating between two and nine cases monthly from January through May.
However, this trend shifted violently in mid-year. June saw a dramatic surge to 30 deaths, a spike directly attributed to the Gen-Z protests that swept through the country. This momentum of state violence reached its apex in July, recording 39 killings—the highest monthly toll of the year.
This deadliest period coincided with the Saba Saba protests, an annual historical commemorative event that has traditionally served as a flashpoint for reformist agitation.
Following the mid-year crisis, the numbers receded but did not vanish. August saw a significant drop to four cases, followed by a plateau through September and October with six deaths each.
The year concluded with a final uptick in December, which saw 10 fatalities. The report, released on March 24, 2026, underscores a grim pattern: while police killings persist as a monthly occurrence, they reach catastrophic levels when the state confronts organized protest movements. The data paints a stark picture of a year where the right to assembly frequently carried a lethal price.
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