President William Ruto faces increasing scrutiny over Kenya’s human rights record as he prepares for his State of the Nation Address on Thursday evening. Activist Davies Okombo has criticized the government for neglecting victims of alleged police killings and enforced disappearances.

Okombo highlighted the ongoing injustice faced by families such as those of Baby Pendo, a six-month-old killed by police in Kisumu in 2017, and Rex Maasai, fatally shot during recent protests in Nairobi. He emphasized that national development cannot be celebrated while these families await accountability years later.

Nairobi Leads in Police Killings

The Missing Voices Coalition’s 2025 report, Unbowed for Justice, reveals Nairobi as the county with the highest number of extrajudicial killings for the fourth year running. The report documents 125 police killings and six enforced disappearances nationwide in 2025. While overall incidents slightly declined from 2024, deaths linked to protests and crowd control surged.

  • 125 police killings recorded in 2025
  • 6 enforced disappearances documented
  • Rise in protest-related deaths despite fewer total incidents

Families Still Seeking Answers

Many families affected by the 2024 Gen Z protests remain in anguish, searching hospitals, police stations, and morgues for missing relatives. Social media and missing persons notices have become vital tools in their search. According to Human Rights Watch’s 2026 World Report, 41 people connected to protests in 2024 and 2025 remain unaccounted for amid ongoing allegations of enforced disappearances.

Human Rights Watch criticizes Kenyan authorities for failing to ensure justice and allowing arbitrary arrests and abductions to continue despite public outcry.

Calls for Accountability Ahead of Address

The Gen Z protests, triggered by opposition to the Finance Bill, expanded into a wider movement demanding transparency, accountability, and relief from economic hardships. Reports of protesters disappearing after encounters with security forces have raised alarm among civil society groups and victims’ families.

As President Ruto delivers his address, human rights organizations will closely monitor whether he presents concrete plans to tackle police brutality, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances. Activists stress that genuine economic progress is inseparable from respect for human rights and police accountability.