38 Dead, 150 Injured in Saba Saba Protests — KNCHR

The death toll from the Saba Saba Day demonstrations has risen to 38, with at least 150 others injured across the country, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has announced.

The commission revealed that most of the fatalities resulted from gunshot wounds, including a 12-year-old girl who was shot while watching television at her home in Kiambu.

The victims span multiple counties, with Kiambu (8), Nairobi (6), Kajiado (6), Nakuru (4), and Kirinyaga (3) recording the highest numbers.

KNCHR reported that grieving families are being forced to pay for postmortem examinations and mortuary fees, despite a government waiver.

Many of the affected families are from underprivileged backgrounds, compounding their anguish.

“The government must immediately and unconditionally waive all medical bills for victims of these demonstrations,” the Commission stated, urging the Ministry of Health to act swiftly.

The KNCHR is working with the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) to ensure thorough investigations.

Dr. Raymond Nyeris, KNCHR Vice Chairperson, emphasized the need for transparency and justice, urging the public to report any human rights violations.

The rising casualties have intensified scrutiny on security forces, with human rights groups demanding accountability for excessive use of force.

The KNCHR insists that postmortems must be conducted independently, with legal representatives present.

The public can report any human rights violations to KNCHR via SMS (22359), email (complain@knchr.org), or toll-free line (0800 720 627).