Human Rights Body Reports 31 Dead, 107 Injured — Police Admit to Only 11 Fatalities an Undercount of 20

By The Anchor News Team
TheAnchorMedia.org
8th July 2025

A chilling disconnect has emerged between the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the National Police Service (NPS) over the true extent of State violence during the July 7 Saba Saba demonstrations.

KNCHR today updated the figure to 31, which paints a bloodier picture than government sources admit.

While the NPS issued a statement on Monday night citing 11 deaths, 53 injuries, and 273 arrests, the KNCHR has now contradicted those figures. NPS death account is less by 20 citizens.

The damning  KNHCR report documented 31 deaths, 107 injuries, 532 arrests, 2 enforced disappearances, and widespread destruction of property across the country.

The KNCHR’s update, issued at 1900hrs on 8th July, seemingly offers the most comprehensive and independent tally of human rights violations linked to the national protests—placing the spotlight firmly on police conduct and institutional accountability.

“The Commission is still actively monitoring and following up on all reports and incidences,” reads the statement signed by Dr. Raymond Nyeris, Vice Chairperson of KNCHR. “We strongly condemn all human rights violations and urge accountability from all responsible parties, including police, civilians, and other stakeholders.”

The contrasting tallies raise urgent questions about the State’s transparency and commitment to human rights, especially in light of graphic evidence surfacing online showing officers firing live rounds, dragging civilians into a policestation, and storming homes in overnight raids.

Civil society coalitions and opposition leaders have seized on the KNCHR data as proof of a coordinated attempt to sanitize a brutal crackdown reminiscent of Kenya’s darkest days of State repression.

“This was a coordinated assault on civil liberties. The NPS figures are a cover-up,” said a representative from Defenders of Democracy Kenya. “What happened was not riot control—it was a bloodbath.”

The nationwide demonstrations erupted in protest against the cost of living, corruption, and what organizers termed the systematic betrayal of the 2010 Constitution. Protesters marched in Nairobi, Kitengela, Ngong, Machakos, Embu, Nyeri, Wote, Emali, Nakuru, and Kisii, among other towns—turning July 7 into a day of rage and reckoning.

Despite the scale of unrest and casualties, the NPS has not issued any update today, and senior Interior Ministry officials have gone quiet. The silence has only added to fears that the true extent of State-sponsored violence is being actively downplayed or concealed.

The KNCHR is urging all Kenyans with information on rights violations to come forward via SMS (22359), email (complaint@knchr.org), or through their toll-free line (0800 720 627).

As international observers begin to take notice and domestic pressure mounts, the demand for an independent inquiry into the security operation is gaining momentum.

Whether the State responds with accountability—or doubles down on impunity—may determine the course of civil liberties in the country for years to come.

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