By KPC Reporter
A new report has revealed a mixed picture of progress and persistent violations between December 2024 and December 2025.
Released by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the annual State of Human Rights Report, processed 2,848 human rights complaints, with the highest number – 1,381 cases – linked to violations of economic and social rights, particularly health, food, and housing challenges
Also Read
.KNCHR notes that unmet basic needs “may have led to widespread agitation, particularly by the youth,” fuelling civil and political rights violations witnessed during protests across the country
On health, the Commission welcomed increased budget allocations and progress toward Universal Health Coverage.
However, it raised alarm over delayed payments to contracted health providers, digital exclusion in the new Social Health Authority (SHA) systems, and persistent drug shortages.
“The shortage of medicine and medical supplies… has continued in the period under review, forcing many Kenyans to seek alternative health care at exorbitant costs,” the report states
The right to life remains under pressure, with 57 deaths documented, many linked to heavy-handed policing during youth-led demonstrations.
Cases included the killing of a human rights defender in Elburgon and several minors shot during protests.
KNCHR called for the full operationalisation of the National Coroners Service Act to ensure credible investigations.
“The right to life ought to be sacrosanct,” the Commission stressed.
Freedoms of assembly and expression were also severely tested.
KNCHR cited 661 injured protesters, masked police deployments, and the involvement of hired violent groups during demonstrations.
Journalists also faced unprecedented threats, including assaults, confiscation of equipment, and obstruction while covering protests.
The Commission warned that these trends amount to “a systemic erosion of press freedom” and urged authorities to protect media workers.
The report also highlighted rising femicide cases, gaps in disability inclusion despite new legislation, and ongoing injustices against Indigenous groups, including the unmet reparations in the Ogiek case.
Refugees, too, faced setbacks, notably the forced return of Turkish asylum seekers, which KNCHR said violated the principle of non-refoulement. While acknowledging government progress in areas such as education reforms and anti-corruption efforts, KNCHR concluded that Kenya remains “at a crucial point on the path to becoming a human-rights compliant state,” urging accountability, equity, and stronger protection of vulnerable populations going forward
