Kenya recorded a slight drop in reported crime cases last year, with the total number falling from 104,842 in 2023 to 101,220 in 2024, representing a 3.5 percent decrease, according to the 2025 Economic Survey.
The report noted a general decline in most types of crimes reported to police, except for criminal damage, offences involving police officers, and other penal code violations, which increased by 0.8 percent, 36.7 percent, and 16 percent respectively.
Nairobi City recorded the highest number of reported crimes at 9,717 cases or 9.6 percent of the national total. It was followed by Kiambu County with 8,865 cases and Meru with 5,487 cases.
Meanwhile, the number of people accused of committing crimes fell slightly by 1.1 percent, from 104,390 in 2023 to 103,256 last year.
Traffic offences and those involving tourists saw the most significant reductions, falling by 58.4 percent and 42.6 percent respectively.
However, offences against persons and cases of stealing remained high, making up 42 percent of all reported crimes in 2024.
Marsabit County recorded the sharpest increase in crime, up by 41 percent. Other counties that experienced notable spikes were Narok (34.3%), West Pokot (28.6%), and Migori (23.2%). In contrast, Taita Taveta (32.4%), Trans Nzoia (22.1%), and Machakos (15.7%) saw notable drops in crime reports.
In terms of illegal weapons, police recovered 104 firearms in 2024 compared to 179 the year before, while surrendered firearms dropped to 31 from 117.
However, recovered ammunition almost doubled, from 2,248 rounds in 2023 to 4,548 in 2024. The quantity of dangerous drugs seized also saw a sharp rise, jumping from 14,259kg in 2023 to 26,858kg in 2024.
The number of men accused of committing crimes dropped by 1,121 to 82,616. Women accounted for 20,653 cases, a slight increase from the previous year. Nairobi also recorded the largest drop in suspects, with 1,363 fewer individuals reported in 2024.
Marsabit, Narok, and Mandera counties saw the highest percentage increase in suspects reported, while Taita Taveta and Trans Nzoia had the highest decreases.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) registered fewer murder cases and convictions in 2024. Only 728 murder cases were recorded, down from 860 in 2023. Convictions dropped from 526 to 354 over the same period.
Meanwhile, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) received more complaints in the 2023/24 period, registering 2,207 reports, up from 1,968 the previous year. Of these, 126 were forwarded to the ODPP for further action. The value of public assets traced rose to Sh16 billion from Sh6.6 billion, while Sh2.9 billion worth of assets were saved from potential loss.
The country also saw a 21.6 percent rise in the number of court cases filed, increasing to 516,121 in 2023/24. However, pending cases dropped slightly to 635,262. The number of judicial officers rose to 832, while the number of practicing lawyers increased by 7.5 percent to 16,874.
Child protection cases reported to the Department of Children’s Services dropped by 10.8 percent to 169,303. However, floods and other disasters led to a surge in displaced children, rising from 101 in 2023 to 3,826 last year.
The number of people sent to prison dropped by 15.8 percent to 208,971. Among them were 534 children and 1,069 foreign nationals. Offenders placed under probation also declined by 27.4 percent to 5,912.
The police-to-civilian ratio worsened slightly from 1:479 to 1:512. However, the ratio of prison officers to inmates improved from 1:8 to 1:7, and probation officers to offenders from 1:12 to 1:10.
The number of new national ID applications dropped by 21.2 percent to one million in 2024, while the number of newly issued IDs decreased by 3.4 percent to 1.1 million.
Immigration authorities issued 621,794 passports and 6,448 work permits. Foreign national registrations fell by 25.9 percent to 27,853.
The number of refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya rose by 19.1 percent to 823,932, with children and males making up more than half of that population.
Additionally, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities reported 615,515 registered persons with disabilities as of June 2024.
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