A coalition of civil rights organisations in Kenya has condemned what it described as a deliberate infiltration of peaceful protests in Nairobi by violent groups acting with the tacit approval and in some cases, the direct support of the police.
In a strongly worded joint statement on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, the Police Reforms Working Group, which includes Amnesty International Kenya, the Katiba Institute, and over a dozen other watchdogs, accused the National Police Service of failing to protect demonstrators and instead enabling violent agitators who unleashed chaos in the capital.
The groups reported that at least one unarmed bystander was fatally shot and more than two dozen others injured, five with gunshot wounds, during Tuesday’s unrest.
Private businesses and public infrastructure across Nairobi’s Central Business District were also damaged in what the coalition termed “uncalculated mayhem.”
Despite prior warnings issued by the coalition on June 17 urging police restraint and adherence to international human rights standards during demonstrations in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale, the police are accused of having completely abdicated their constitutional responsibility.
“Our monitoring confirms widespread fears that the National Police Service failed to stop hundreds of masked agitators who were mobilized, transported, and deployed to attack government critics,” the statement said.
Protest monitors say they observed these groups wielding tyre whips, wooden batons, and knives, while police officers looked on or, in some instances, were seen engaging directly with them.
Activists said they documented police officers coordinating with the violent groups in various parts of the city, including Moi Avenue, Kenyatta Avenue, and near the Railways Club.
According to the rights groups, some of the attackers were recorded expressing public gratitude to the Nairobi Governor for undisclosed support.
“By 8 p.m. last night, no arrests related to the violence had been made,” the statement continued, citing visits to Central and Kamukunji Police Stations.
This, according to the group, raises serious questions about the police’s stated commitment to investigating the events, as expressed in a brief statement by the police spokesperson earlier that day.
The rights coalition is now demanding full transparency and accountability from the Inspector General of Police, including the release of deployment schedules, the identities of commanding officers, and forensic evidence related to the fatal shooting of Boniface Kariuki, a Nairobi businessman.
“The officer responsible must be prosecuted and subjected to a fair trial,” the statement read, while also calling on political leaders to refrain from interfering in law enforcement operations.
The coalition, known for advocating professional and accountable policing, commended medical workers, legal advocates, and independent observers who continued to uphold human rights and nonviolence during the turmoil.
As of Wednesday evening, neither the National Police Service nor the Nairobi Governor’s office had issued further statements responding to the allegations.
Martin Oduor
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