NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 25— Men accounted for about 90 per cent of victims of police killings in Kenya in 2025, a newly released report by the Missing Voices Coalition has shown, highlighting “persistent gendered patterns” in the use of force by security agencies.
The Missing Voices 2025 Annual Report, launched in Nairobi’s Mathare, documented 131 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances last year, indicating what the coalition described as a continuing crisis of police violence and limited accountability.
Of the total cases, 125 were incidents of police killings while six were enforced disappearances, according to the report.
Police killings rose by 20 per cent from 104 cases recorded in 2024 to 125 in 2025, even as the overall number of documented violations fell by 17.6 per cent due to a sharp drop in enforced disappearances.
Enforced disappearances declined by 89 per cent, falling from 55 cases in 2024 to six in 2025.
However, the coalition said the absence of a specific law criminalizing enforced disappearances continued to hinder accountability for victims’ families.
“Young people, especially young men, continued to bear the brunt of police violence,” the report said, noting that individuals aged between 19 and 35 recorded the highest number of victims.
The report also found that shootings were the most common method used in police killings, accounting for 114 cases, raising concerns about adherence to national and international standards governing the use of force and firearms.
Police violence was particularly pronounced during periods of public protest.
June and July were the deadliest months, accounting for 68 deaths, more than half of all police killings recorded in 2025.
Nairobi County remained the leading hotspot for extrajudicial killings for the fourth consecutive year, followed by other counties that recorded lower but still worrying numbers of cases.
Despite continued documentation and advocacy efforts, the coalition said accountability remains limited, citing resource constraints facing the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, which investigates complaints against police officers.
The report also warned of shrinking civic space and increasing attacks on human rights defenders and protesters, trends it said could undermine democratic participation and the rule of law.
The coalition called on parliament to enact legislation specifically criminalizing enforced disappearances and to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
It also urged reforms within the National Police Service on crowd control and the use of force, particularly during protests.
It called for better documentation of detainees in police custody to help investigations into disappearance cases.
In addition, the coalition asked the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to expedite prosecutions of police abuse cases and develop clearer investigative guidelines.
The report further urged the Judiciary to prioritise the timely resolution of cases involving police abuse of power and called on the state to operationalize laws such as the National Coroners Service Act and the Prevention of Torture Act.
“Behind every statistic is a life cut short, a family left behind, and a justice system that too often fails to act,” the report said, adding that the coalition would continue documenting abuses and advocating for justice for victims and their families.