At least 661 complaints of rights violations and 15 abductions linked to security officers were reported between December 2024 and December 2025, according to a Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) report.
Right to life was ranked among the most abused, with 57 deaths occurring within the period.
“These include the killing of a human rights defender, Richard Otieno, in Molo, the fatal shooting of a minor in Kiambu County, land clashes that killed 5 people in Angata Baragoi, the murder of a civilian, Albert Ojwang, in police custody, among others,” read part of the report.
The commission raised concerns over the surge in complaints and remained wary of the resurgence of cases of arbitrary detentions, torture, abductions, and enforced disappearances allegedly committed by government security agents.
Counties in the North Rift region gazetted as ‘disturbed and dangerous’ continued to be of concern with persistent cases of extra-judicial killings despite active interventions such as ‘Operation Maliza Uhalifu’.
West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Turkana, and Samburu are the most affected.
Additionally, 12 reports of abductions, torture, and extra-judicial killings occurred in parts of Marakwet East, Pokot Central, and Tiaty.
KNCHR also noted a return of criminal gangs backed by politicians and business owners for private security, but are at times deployed to cause terror and intimidate targets.
The Commission has urged the government to allocate adequate resources to ensure full implementation of the Prevention of Torture Act for monitoring, documentation, and reporting of cases.
It also wants communities to be disarmed for the restoration of peace in affected regions.
