Report: Why Men Are More Likely to Die at the Hands of Police

A new report by Missing Voices has revealed that men are the majority of victims of police killings in Kenya, raising concerns over the use of force by security agencies.

The Missing Voices 2025 Annual Report documents 125 cases of police killings in 2025, alongside six cases of enforced disappearances from a total of 95 incidents.

According to the report, police killings increased from 104 cases in 2024 to 125 in 2025, marking a 20 per cent rise. In contrast, enforced disappearances dropped significantly from 55 cases in 2024 to just six in 2025, representing an 89 per cent decrease.

Overall, incidents of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances declined from 159 in 2024 to 131 in 2025, an overall drop of 17.6 per cent.

The report highlights that June and July recorded the highest number of police killings, with 68 cases reported during the two months. This accounted for more than half (54 per cent) of all killings in 2025, coinciding with a period of public protests.

“The pattern observed in 2023 and 2024, where police killings spiked during periods of protest, continued in 2025, underscoring persistent concerns about excessive force by law enforcement during public demonstrations,” the report states.

Findings further show that 90 per cent of those killed by police were men. The report attributes this to lower public backlash when male victims are involved, which it says may contribute to continued use of excessive force.

Young people aged between 19 and 35 years were the most affected group. The report notes that this age bracket has consistently recorded the highest number of casualties over the years, with cases rising to 69 in 2025.

While anti-crime operations have historically accounted for many deaths, the report indicates that in 2025, anti-protest and crowd-control operations resulted in the highest number of fatalities.

Shootings were identified as the leading method used by security officers, accounting for 114 cases during the year.

The report also shows that men continue to make up the majority of victims of enforced disappearances, with young people again the most affected group.

It adds that anti-government protests and riot control operations were the leading cause of enforced disappearances for the second consecutive year, a shift from previous years where such cases were largely linked to anti-crime and anti-terror operations.