Nairobi, 20 September 2025: Amnesty International Kenya wishes to respond to remarks attributed to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen during the Jukwaa La Usalama forum in Homa Bay on 17th September 2025. The remarks indicated that requests for “fuel” made by police officers to the public should not be labelled as corruption. While the logistical and financial challenges facing the police are real, such statements may extend the normalization of bribery within law enforcement and further erode public trust.

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.

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?

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.

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.

As Dutch authorities prepare for the official state visit to Kenya this week to intensify bilateral Dutch-Kenya relations, Amnesty International calls on both authorities to place human rights at the heart of the visit, address human rights violations and commit to accountability for all victims following the recent brutal crackdown on human rights. 

Nairobi, 3 October 2024: The deferring of plea-taking against 12 Police Commanders and Officers accused of killing Baby Pendo and perpetrating several human rights violations against several Kisumu citizens under application by the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions today is a major disappointment to several survivors and victim’s families.