NAIROBI, Kenya – The United Nations has expressed alarm over the killing of at least 10 people during Monday’s Saba Saba Day protests in Kenya, urging authorities to launch swift and transparent investigations into the deadly violence and widespread destruction of property.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the UN Human Rights Office said it was “deeply troubled by the killings yesterday of at least 10 people in protests amid looting and destruction of property.”
“We are deeply troubled by the killings yesterday of at least 10 people, as well as looting and destruction of property in Kenya as police and other security forces responded to violent protests in the capital Nairobi and at least 16 other counties. Lethal ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons were used.”
The UN further called for those responsible to be held accountable through “prompt, thorough, independent and transparent investigations.”
“The High Commissioner repeats his call for all reported killings and other alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law, including with respect to use of force, to be promptly, thoroughly, independently and transparently investigated. Those responsible must be held to account,” reads the statement.
“Under international human rights law, intentional lethal force by law enforcement officers, including with firearms, should only be used when strictly necessary to protect life from an imminent threat.”
#Kenya: We are deeply troubled by the killings yesterday of at least 10 people in protests amid looting and destruction of property.@volker_turk urges prompt, thorough, independent & transparent investigations. Those responsible must be held to account.
The statement comes in the wake of a violent crackdown on demonstrators across major cities including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru, where thousands of Kenyans—mostly young people—took to the streets to protest against corruption, economic hardship, and what they see as state repression.
What began as largely peaceful protests descended into chaos as security forces fired live bullets and tear gas in multiple locations.
Businesses were looted, public infrastructure vandalized, and police stations attacked, according to official reports.
While the Kenyan government has blamed criminal elements for the violence, civil society groups and protest organisers have accused the state of using excessive force against unarmed demonstrators.
Human rights watchdogs have condemned the killings and called for independent investigations.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk added his voice to the growing international outcry, saying that those responsible must be held to account to prevent further escalation.
The Kenyan National Police Service has so far confirmed 11 deaths and over 550 arrests related to the protests.
Calls for accountability are also mounting at home. Several opposition leaders and former Chief Justice David Maraga have accused the government of failing to protect constitutional rights and weaponizing security agencies against civilians.
Monday’s unrest marked one of the bloodiest Saba Saba commemorations in recent memory.
Originally established to honour Kenya’s pro-democracy struggle of the 1990s, the day has in recent years become a symbol of youth-led resistance against government excesses.
