A recent report by the Missing Voices Coalition has revealed that men made up almost 90 per cent of police killing victims in Kenya in 2025, highlighting persistent gendered patterns in the use of force by security agencies.
Launched in Nairobi’s Mathare, the Missing Voices 2025 Annual Report documented 131 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances last year. Of these, 125 were police killings while six were enforced disappearances. The coalition described the findings as evidence of an ongoing crisis of police violence coupled with limited accountability.
Police killings rose by 20 per cent, from 104 cases in 2024 to 125 in 2025, even as overall violations fell by 17.6 per cent due to a sharp drop in enforced disappearances. These declined by 89 per cent, from 55 cases in 2024 to just six in 2025. However, the coalition warned that the absence of a law specifically criminalising enforced disappearances continues to hinder justice for victims’ families.
Young people, particularly men aged 19 to 35, suffered the highest number of fatalities. Shootings were the most common method of killing, accounting for 114 cases, raising questions about adherence to national and international guidelines on use of force.
Police violence spiked during public protests, with June and July recording 68 deaths — more than half of all police killings last year. Nairobi County remained the deadliest hotspot for the fourth consecutive year, followed by other counties with lower but worrying numbers.
Despite advocacy and documentation, the coalition said accountability remains limited, citing resource constraints at the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which handles complaints against police officers. The report also noted shrinking civic space and increasing attacks on human rights defenders and protesters, warning these trends threaten democracy and rule of law.
The coalition urged Parliament to enact laws criminalising enforced disappearances and to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. It also called for reforms within the National Police Service, better documentation of detainees, faster prosecution of abuse cases by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and prioritisation of police abuse cases by the Judiciary.
“Behind every statistic is a life cut short, a family left behind, and a justice system that too often fails to act,” the report stated. The coalition pledged to continue documenting abuses and advocating for justice for victims and their families.
