Kenya recorded fewer terror attacks and deaths in 2025, but the fall did little to reduce the danger faced by security officers, who made up the largest number of people killed and injured in the attacks, a new report has revealed.
A total of 23 security officials lost their lives while 78 others were injured in terror-related incidents during the year, according to the ninth edition of the Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies’ Terror Attacks and Arrests Observatory.
The report, which tracks verified terror-related incidents in Kenya, shows that security personnel accounted for almost half of the 50 deaths recorded in 2025.
The number of attacks dropped to 72 from 85 in 2024, representing a 15 per cent decrease. The number of people killed also went down from 107 to 50 over the same period.
However, security officers continued to face the biggest share of the threat, with many of the attacks directed at them through gun attacks, ambushes and roadside explosives.
Of the 50 people who died, 23 were security officials, 10 were civilians, 16 were suspected al Shabaab militants and one was a government official.
The report also recorded 94 people injured during the attacks, with security personnel accounting for 78 of those cases.
The four counties of Mandera, Garissa, Lamu and Wajir recorded all the terror incidents covered by the observatory in 2025.
Mandera had the largest number of attacks, recording 32 incidents and 13 deaths. Garissa followed with 23 attacks and posted the highest number of fatalities, with 20 people killed.
Lamu recorded 13 attacks and 13 deaths, while Wajir had four attacks that left three people dead.
Security officials came under attack in 15 incidents in Mandera, 13 in Garissa, nine in Lamu and two in Wajir.
The number of attacks aimed at security personnel fell slightly during the year, from 39 in 2024 to 35 in 2025. Even with the reduction, such attacks remained a major part of the terror threat.
Some of the incidents involved attacks on police and military officers, including ambushes and improvised explosive devices.
One KDF officer was killed and 20 others injured in an ambush in Mandera in February.
Months later, in July, three KDF soldiers died after their vehicle ran over an IED in Lamu. Seven others were injured in the same incident.
Seven police officers were also injured in a separate IED attack in Mandera.
National Police Reservists recorded the highest number of deaths among security personnel, with eight losing their lives in the course of the year.
The report said five KDF personnel and five officers from the Special Operations Group were also killed.
The Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies said National Police Reservists continued to have an important role in parts of the country where security presence is limited and the risks are high.
CHRIPS said NPRs helped repel attacks by suspected al Shabaab militants in such areas, leaving them exposed to some of the dangers linked to terror attacks.
While the overall number of terror incidents and deaths declined in 2025, the report shows that security personnel continued to carry much of the burden of the violence, particularly in the four counties affected by the attacks.