Nearly a year after deadly protests rocked Kenya, the country’s police oversight agency says it has concluded investigations into 22 of the 60 reported deaths. Only two cases have reached the courts.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) made the announcement on Monday, stating that 36 other cases are still active. The two cases before the judiciary involve Rex Masai and Evans Kiratu, both fatally shot during the 25 June 2024 protests in Nairobi. Police officers are the primary suspects in both incidents.
In its public briefing, IPOA broke down the status of the 22 completed cases:
- 8 are undergoing final internal review
- 4 are in the final stages before being sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP)
- 4 have already been submitted to the ODPP
- 3 were closed following ODPP direction
- 2 were closed internally
There have been no convictions to date.
The events unfolded during mass demonstrations against the Finance Bill. Thousands took to the streets nationwide, demanding that the government scrap the proposed taxes. The response from police was forceful—and, at times, lethal.
Among the 60 confirmed deaths, IPOA recorded fatalities in several counties:
- Nyeri (8)
- Kakamega (6)
- Kisumu (6)
- Nakuru (4)
- Eldoret (3)
- Mombasa (3)
- Meru (1)
An additional 233 people were injured during the unrest. IPOA said it is currently investigating 191 of those cases. The remaining were either closed internally or referred to the ODPP.
Progress, however, has not been smooth. The authority cited limited cooperation from both police officers and civilian witnesses. “This has significantly hindered our ability to bring some cases to a conclusion,” the statement read.
The update comes just days after the release of Blood Parliament, a BBC documentary investigating police conduct during the June 25 protests. The film alleges that some officers fired live rounds into unarmed crowds outside Parliament, killing at least three young men.
According to the BBC, its investigative team reviewed over 5,000 images and hours of footage to reconstruct the sequence of events. The documentary names both those who fired the shots and senior figures believed to have authorised the crackdown.
Kenyan authorities have yet to issue a formal response to the film’s findings. However, they moved swiftly to block a public screening scheduled at Unseen Nairobi, a cinema popular with civil rights organisers.
“We are very disappointed not to have been able to share the documentary and panel discussion as planned,” a BBC spokesperson said. “In the meantime, audiences can watch the film on BBC Africa’s YouTube channel.”
Calls for justice have grown louder since the film aired. Human rights groups say delays in holding officers accountable only deepen public mistrust.
“Families are burying their loved ones with no answers,” said George Kegoro, a Nairobi-based human rights advocate. “If the state doesn’t act soon, it will send the message that these lives didn’t matter.”
IPOA says it is committed to ensuring accountability. But nearly a year on, frustration continues to mount—both in courtrooms and on the streets.
