in the face State violence and the weaponisation of sexual assault against protesters
A year ago, on June 25th 2024, thousands of Kenyans poured into the streets of Nairobi in a historic uprising against the unbearable cost of living and the failure of a political and economic system that has long abandoned its people. Sparked by widespread anger at a proposed finance bill, the protests were never just about that bill – it was simply the final straw. What unfolded was a massive protest against decades of inequality, corruption, public debt, and a neoliberal development agenda that prioritises profit over people and markets over life.
While the movement was visibly led by bold and politically conscious Gen Z’s, those who answered the call came from all walks of life: different age groups, economic classes, professions, and regions. On that day, Kenyans stood together in defiance of a system that continues to extract, repress and impoverish. And the state responded with deadly force. At least 39 people were killed by security forces, many more were injured, and hundreds were arrested.
On Tuesday 25th June 2025, Kenyans took to the streets again; not just to remember those killed, but to continue the struggle for justice, dignity, and transformation. Yet again, the state met peaceful demonstrators with violence: live ammunition, beatings, arrests, and the suppression of public gatherings. At least 16 people are confirmed dead so far. Disturbingly, there are multiple reports that this year’s protests were met with premeditated state-sanctioned violence. Leaked WhatsApp chats widely circulated in Kenyan media, reveal alleged coordination among government-linked actors to intentionally disrupt peaceful mobilisations, and to terrorise and humiliate those who dare to challenge power – including plans for infiltration, abductions, and even sexual violence. Tragically, these were not just threats: reports confirm that sexual violence was in fact carried out during the crackdown. The use of sexual violence as a tool of political repression in Kenya is not new. Its recurrence is deeply alarming and must be met with the highest level of urgency, transparency, and accountability.
But Kenya’s struggle is not isolated. Across the African continent and the wider Global South, governments under pressure from global financial institutions and in service of elite interests, are enforcing a ‘development’ model that deepens inequality and sacrifices the well-being of people at the altar of debt repayment and economic ‘growth’. It is a model that not only entrenches social and economic injustice, but also destroys the environment, contaminating lands, water bodies and air prioritising extractive industries and resource exploitation over community-led and ecologically sound alternatives.
We stand in firm solidarity with the people of Kenya. We stand with the youth who continue to rise in defiance, with the families mourning their loved ones, with the survivors of violence and repression, and with all who dare to dream a better future. Their courage is not only a rejection of repression and austerity, but also a call to the continent and the world.
We demand:
- Independent, transparent, and public investigations into the killings, injuries, abductions, and sexual violence committed during protests;
- Full accountability for all state and security actors involved in these crimes, including those in positions of command;
- An immediate end to the criminalisation of protest and the suppression of civic space in Kenya and elsewhere in the continent and the global South;
- The repeal of unjust economic measures that punish the working class and poor while serving the interests of elites and creditors; and
- A people-centred development model that protects public services, respects the environment, and restores dignity and sovereignty to communities.
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Spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Africa (FoEA): Ruth Nyambura Ruth@foei.org +254 72 379 5065