A damning report published in October 2017 exposed a wave of extrajudicial killings and severe abuses committed by Kenyan security forces in the days following the disputed August 8 presidential election. The investigation, conducted by international human rights watchdogs, documented a systematic pattern of lethal and excessive force used against citizens, primarily in opposition-leaning areas. The core finding reveals that the state’s response to post-poll protests and unrest was not merely crowd control but a violent, punitive crackdown, resulting in dozens of civilian fatalities and raising urgent questions about institutional accountability within the security sector.
The majority of the violence was concentrated in informal settlements, or slums, in Nairobi—including Mathare and Kibera—and parts of Western Kenya. These areas, known as strongholds for the opposition coalition, were reportedly flooded with police and paramilitary units anticipating resistance. Researchers confirmed at least 33 deaths in Nairobi alone, noting that 23 of these victims, including children, were either shot or beaten to death by police officers. Beyond the fatalities, hundreds of residents sustained severe injuries. Security forces were documented pursuing fleeing protesters into residential areas, conducting raids, and assaulting individuals in their homes, a clear breach of standard policing protocols which residents perceived as a targeted punishment for their political choices.
The findings immediately sparked deep concern over institutional accountability, given the historical context of impunity surrounding election-related violence in Kenya. However, the official government reaction at the time was one of outright denial; the National Police Service and relevant ministers publicly refuted the allegations of unlawful killings and excessive force. Furthermore, the report highlighted a critical lack of cooperation between the police command and the civilian police accountability institution, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), effectively undermining internal efforts to investigate the abuses. The widespread fear among victims and their families also hampered the documentation of violations.
With the country facing a repeat presidential poll just weeks after the report’s release, the human rights groups issued urgent calls for immediate reform. They stressed that impunity must end, urging the government to publicly condemn the violence and establish an independent judicial commission of inquiry to examine the police conduct. The primary demand was for the police service to fully cooperate with the IPOA to ensure all cases of unlawful use of force are thoroughly investigated and that officers found culpable are prosecuted. This commitment, the report concluded, is essential to ensure that future elections are policed lawfully, with restraint, and in line with constitutional rights.