Several victims’ families, human rights defenders, netizens and bots this week focused on holding the advisory Panel of Experts on compensation for victims of brutal protest policing legally accountable. Their call is clear. Reparations must be swift, transparent and anchored in our constitutional commission and independent offices. It also must not undermine criminal responsibility for state violence. A newly released report strengthens the case for urgent criminal justice reforms to prevent and respond to police related deaths and trauma.

Nairobi, 22 August 2025: Amnesty International Kenya welcomes the appointment of Irũngũ Houghton to the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests. For several years, we have documented and demanded justice for victims of violent suppression of protests by law enforcement officials. This has included, but is not restricted to, the 2017 and 2023 post-election violence, COVID-19, the Masimba killings and the recent Gen Z protests, among others.

The BBC Africa Eye “Madams: Exposing Kenya’s Child Sex Trade” documentary is classic investigative journalism. Given the gravity of the findings and the public call for action to be taken to stop the trade in women and girls, the Interior Cabinet Secretary’s reaction was unexpected. How big a problem does Kenya have, and what could be done to better protect it?

Hot on the heels of last week’s policy directive on the use of force and firearms, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) released its extensive report on the June and July public protests this week. This week, the National Council on the Administration of Justice and the Attorney General’s Forum held separate talks to review how Article 37 and the right to assembly could be realised. Could these efforts signal that the season of deadly protests might finally be coming to an end?

With close to 1,500 people facing charges of terrorism, murder, robbery with violence, sexual assault and malicious damage, you would be forgiven for thinking Kenya is at war with itself. The last two weeks have seen a shift in police focus from public order and crime to the unprecedented use of anti-terror laws to suppress civil protests. What are the implications of looking at protests, demonstrations and public order through the lens of counterterrorism?

Last week, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, did something both alarming and deeply irresponsible. He issued a shoot-to-kill directive to police officers, targeting anyone who “attempts to attack” the police during protests. While such a statement may win him points with hardliners who view protestors as an inconvenience, it is, in every possible way, a betrayal of the Constitution, a threat to public safety, and a green light for impunity.

Nairobi, 26 June 2025: Yesterday’s violence has claimed at least 16 lives and led to 400 injuries as of 9 pm last night. We have received reports that some police officers are allegedly misadvising victims’ families to bury their loved ones without a postmortem.

Tomorrow marks one year since the historic #OccupyParliament protest shook the nation’s conscience. As Kenyans prepare to take to the streets again this June 25th, peacefully and within their constitutional right, it is not just a protest. It is a mirror held up to the National Police Service (NPS), a test of whether it serves the Constitution or cowers to political masters.

Tuesday’s street anarchy in Nairobi had me scrambling for dusty copies of the Commission on Inquiry, Ransley and Kriegler reports on 2007/2008 Post Election Violence. Within 72 hours, key figures accused of coordinating the mayhem had criticised the violence, some instigators had apologised, and several national and international voices had condemned the six hours of carnage. What happened to rapidly de-escalate the situation?

The brutal murder of Albert Ojwang while in police custody has yet again pricked the country’s moral conscience, reminding us that police reforms are more necessary now than ever before.

Despite the Kenyan Government’s silence, the detailed accounts of East African human rights defenders Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire at the hands of Tanzanian police officers remains deeply disturbing one week on. Their courage to tell all has opened the world’s eyes to some of the worst human rights abuses in East Africa. The veil lifted, this week international attention shifted to the persecution of prominent religious leaders who have dared to criticize the Government’s behaviour.

The release of BBC “Blood Parliament” documentary and the Amnesty International 2024-2025 Kenya report whipped up a political storm this week. Accusations of bad faith completely miss the point. Victim centered thinking knows, only justice, not amnesia, heals national wounds.