The cost of protests in Kenya has been measured in more than arrests and clashes, with at least 138 people losing their lives and 1,227 others suffering injuries between 2020 and 2025, according to the Kenya Freedom Index.
The report by Odipo Dev and Amnesty International Kenya also records 2,128 arrests during the six-year period, painting a picture of demonstrations that have had serious consequences for both participants and people who were simply caught in the middle.
The highest number of deaths was recorded in 2025, when 70 people died in incidents linked to protests. This made the year the deadliest in the period covered by the index.
The number was higher than the 54 deaths recorded in June and July 2024, a period marked by the Gen Z-led protests.
Young people and ordinary residents accounted for the largest share of those who died, with each group making up 40 per cent of the fatalities recorded in the index.
The report says the deaths and injuries cannot be viewed only through the lens of protesters facing police officers. People who were not involved in demonstrations were also caught up in the violence, including residents, business owners, children, security guards and passers-by.
Among the cases highlighted is that of Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, a 22-year-old mask seller who was working in Nairobi’s Central Business District when he was shot in the head by a police officer on June 17, 2025.
Kariuki was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he was declared brain-dead. He died on June 30.
Another victim was 12-year-old Bridgit Njoki, who was at home watching television during the July 7, 2025 Saba Saba protests.
According to the index, a bullet pierced the roof of her home, went through the ceiling and hit her in the head.
Fred Wamale Wanyonyi, a security guard working at a Nairobi mall, was also killed on June 25, 2025.
The index says such cases show that the impact of demonstrations extended beyond the people who had taken to the streets. Those living near protest routes, working in shops, guarding buildings or simply moving around were also exposed to danger.
Injuries formed another major part of the toll. The report identifies June 25, 2025 as the day with the highest number of physical injuries in the dataset, followed by further injuries during the July 7 protests.
Gunfire was the leading cause of the injuries recorded across the two protest periods, with 58 gunshot wounds documented.
Eight people were injured by teargas canisters, while eight others suffered injuries linked to physical assault. A further nine cases were listed as other bodily injuries, while 27 injuries did not have a specific type recorded.
The findings come as questions continue to be raised over the use of force by police during demonstrations.
The report also points to growing demands for action by the police, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Judiciary to ensure victims receive justice. At the same time, the state has started compensating some people affected by the protests.
The Freedom Index uses Article 37 of the Constitution when defining protests. The provision protects the right of people to peaceably and unarmed assemble, demonstrate, picket and petition public authorities.
Its coverage includes marches, demonstrations, pickets, sit-ins, strikes, go-slows and other forms of collective action in public spaces.
Arrests were also widespread during the period studied. July 7, 2025, when the Saba Saba protests took place, recorded the highest number of arrests for that year.
The report further details cases involving people whose work placed them directly around demonstrations.
Medics attending to injured protesters were teargassed and shot at, while journalists covering the protests were arrested, beaten and had their equipment confiscated.
Civil society workers who were monitoring human rights during demonstrations also faced detention and intimidation, according to the index.
However, the researchers warn that the figures should not be viewed as a complete count of every death, injury or arrest linked to protests during the six years.
Instead, the numbers are presented as “at least” figures because the available records do not capture every incident.
Researchers relied on information from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Amnesty International Kenya and the Ministry of Interior.
The figures supplied by the different institutions sometimes varied, depending on the incident or period being reported.
To avoid counting the same event more than once, the index used the highest figure reported by the sources where they covered the same incident or period.