NAIROBI, Kenya – Police officers deployed to manage the June 25 and July 7 protests across Kenya were left without food, water, or essential allowances, a new report by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has revealed.
The watchdog says it observed serious lapses in how officers were treated during the two demonstrations, which were held in remembrance of last year’s tax protests and the historic ‘Saba Saba’ pro-democracy march of 1990.
In its findings released Thursday, IPOA also revealed alarming casualty figures: 65 people were killed and 342 civilians injured during four protest events between June and July 2025.
171 police officers were also injured, with the majority of cases reported during the June 25 and July 7 protests.
“Out of the 65 documented fatalities, the Authority has attended 61 autopsies and will attend the remaining when scheduled,” IPOA said.
IPOA monitoring report on police response to public protests -June and July, 2025 1/6 #GuardingPublicInterestInPolicing #IPOAMonitoring #PoliceAccountability
Shockingly, the National Police Service (NPS) only reported five of the 65 deaths to IPOA, despite being legally obligated to report all fatalities involving police action under the Sixth Schedule of the National Police Service Act (CAP 84).
“This failure to notify IPOA undermines independent oversight, violates legal obligations, and signals a worrying culture of non-compliance within the police service,” the report noted.
| Date | Police Injuries | Civilian Injuries | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/06/2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17/06/2025 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 25/06/2025 | 99 | 195 | 23 |
| 07/07/2025 | 72 | 146 | 41 |
| Total | 171 | 342 | 65 |
In light of these findings, IPOA has made a series of urgent recommendations to improve both the welfare of officers and the conduct of law enforcement during public protests, including a push for more transparency, body-worn cameras, medical support for injured protesters, and enhanced civic education.
