Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are urging the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate alleged police abuses during Kenya’s 2023 Azimio protests. Their joint report, “Unchecked Injustice: Kenya’s Suppression of the 2023 Protests”, accuses police of killing 31 people, causing hundreds of injuries, and conducting arbitrary arrests, detentions, and disappearances to suppress largely peaceful demonstrations.
The report, based on 226 interviews across 10 counties, documents alleged police misconduct, including shooting into crowds, firing tear gas into schools and residential areas, and violent house-to-house operations. Independent Policing Oversight Authority data indicates at least 67 fatalities during the protests.
The protests, triggered by high living costs and claims of electoral fraud, saw heavy-handed responses from law enforcement under President William Ruto’s administration, Amnesty and HRW claim. They call for accountability to end impunity and prevent political violence in Kenya.
Despite widespread calls for justice, the government has yet to act, leaving affected families without closure.
