The United States has raised sharp concerns over what it terms a worsening human rights situation in Kenya, accusing President William Ruto’s government of committing widespread abuses during last year’s youth-led Gen Z protests.
In its latest Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the U.S. Department of State cites “unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and restrictions on media freedoms” in 2024, particularly during the June and July demonstrations against the proposed Finance Bill.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) recorded 60 protest-related deaths, while the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) reported 50 deaths and 199 injuries, blaming excessive police force.
The report details arbitrary arrests, prolonged detentions without charge, and abductions of protesters despite a High Court order banning police from concealing their identities.
KNCHR documented 82 enforced disappearances since June 2024, with 29 people still missing. Victims reportedly faced warnings against posting protest content online.
Human rights NGOs accused security agencies of torture during interrogations, citing beatings, painful restraints, and electric shocks. The State Department said “impunity was a serious problem” and alleged that Kenyan authorities neither acknowledged nor prosecuted police abuses from the protests, instead using disciplinary transfers to shield implicated officers.
Washington also flagged incidents of transnational repression, including the July 2024 arrest and forced repatriation of 37 Ugandan opposition members from Kisumu, and the November kidnapping of veteran politician Kizza Besigye in Nairobi, allegedly in coordination with Ugandan security forces.
Media freedoms also came under scrutiny, with the Media Council of Kenya reporting at least 24 cases of police violence, harassment, and arrests of journalists during the protests.
Other issues noted include poor labour protections, unsafe working conditions, child marriage, and continued female genital mutilation in some communities.
While acknowledging some government efforts to punish abusive officials, the U.S. concluded that “impunity was a problem at all levels of government,” warning that the trend threatens Kenya’s democratic and human rights commitments.
Written By Rodney Mbua
