Haki Africa CEO, Hussein Khalid, has revealed that another June 25, 2025, protest victim has died while receiving treatment.
In a statement on Friday, July 4, 2025, Khalid disclosed that the man identified as Timothy Bwibo from Eldoret was shot by police officers during the protest and had been receiving treatment for his injuries.
Bwibo’s demise raises the death toll from the June 25, 2025, protests to 20. In their initial report on the day of the demonstration, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) disclosed that 19 people had died across the country, with over 400 injured.
Injured protesters
Out of the injured, who included journalists and police officers as well as civilians, a majority were treated and discharged, while 83 others were taken to referral hospitals for specialised treatment.
Eight of those taken in for specialised care had suffered gunshot wounds, according to the rights body.
On June 30, 2025, the Ministry of Health announced a waiver of all medical bills for individuals injured during the June 17 and June 25 anti-government protests in a move seen as a major relief for affected families.
The directive was signed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and applied specifically to protest victims treated at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), including the late Boniface Kariuki, whose hospital bill had reached Ksh815,805 by the time of his death.
“We remain committed to ensuring they receive the care and support they need,” CS Duale said in the statement, adding that the hospital’s Disaster Emergency Fund will now cover the bills.
Accountability
The waiver covered all patients injured during the protests, not just Kariuki, and signals a broader government acknowledgement of the cost borne by victims and their families.
While civil society groups and Kenyans online welcomed the move, they vowed to continue pursuing accountability for the excessive force used during the demonstrations.
This comes amid more tensions over the planned Saba Saba demonstration set to be held on Monday, July 7, 2025, in commemoration of the pro-democracy agitations of 1990, which led to political pluralism in the year 1991.
