Two Years After Kenya's Finance Bill Protests, Accountability Remains Limited

A Youth-Led Movement Reaches Two Years: Kenya's Unfinished Search for Justice

"What we want is accountability. Those responsible should be brought before a court."
— James Otieno, father of missing protester Denzel Omondi

The 2024 Protests and Aftermath

On June 25, 2024, widespread demonstrations erupted across Kenya, initially sparked by opposition to the Finance Bill. The protests escalated dramatically when demonstrators entered Parliament grounds. The bill, which aimed to raise approximately $2.7 billion in new taxes, was later withdrawn by President William Ruto.

Official counts and human rights groups reported 62 deaths during the 2024 protests. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights documented at least 63 deaths, 610 injuries, and 74 enforced disappearances. Amnesty International reported at least 60 killings, citing the use of live ammunition.

The 2025 Protests and Government Response

Further demonstrations in June 2025, sparked by the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody, led to a government crackdown. Rights groups reported over 60 deaths and 500 injuries during this period. The Missing Voices Coalition recorded 104 police killings in 2024 and 125 in 2025.

President Ruto introduced the Finance Act, 2026, and characterized opposition to it as "propaganda." The government has warned against further demonstrations and has ordered heavy police deployment. President Ruto stated:

"The one thing that is not going to happen is that people will be mobilised to destroy property or to cause chaos or mayhem."

Legal Proceedings and Accountability

As of June 2026, legal progress on protest-related deaths has been severely limited.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) reported that only three of the 62 deaths from the 2024 protests have reached court, with 46 cases still under investigation. Just one case from the 2025 protests has reached court, and there have been no convictions of police officers to date.

IPOA Vice Chairperson Anne Wanjiku Mwangi stated:

"The progress of a case to court depends on the sufficiency of evidence and the outcome of prosecutorial review by the ODPP."

Human Rights Watch reported that 26 people from the 2024 protests and 15 from 2025 demonstrations remain missing. Human rights organizations have documented allegations of excessive force, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances. Dozens of government critics were abducted in 2024 and 2025. While President Ruto stated in May 2025 that an "accountability mechanism" exists, critics say no investigation has been conducted.

Compensation Program

The government has launched a compensation program for verified victims of human rights violations from 2013 to 2025. The first phase, with a total allocation of $3.46 million, covers 348 verified victims.

Payments are structured as follows:

The government also announced a separate $15 million compensation fund for 1,100 people affected by protests between 2017 and 2025, though it stopped short of issuing an apology. Panel of Experts Chair Makau Mutua stated participation is voluntary and limited to those who consent.

Reactions and Demands for Justice

Families of victims have expressed deep dissatisfaction with the compensation program, citing a fundamental lack of accountability.

"I know he is alive somewhere and I just want the government to give him back to me."
— Susan Wangari Wanjohi, mother of missing Emmanuel Kamua Mukuria

Gillian Munyao, whose son was killed in the 2024 protests, said:

"I’m not seeing justice anywhere... why pay us without giving the culprit?"

Chris Kinyanjui, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, stated:

"We stand with every Kenyan who continues to carry the pain and memories of that dark season in our nation."

Opposition figure James Orengo called on Kenyans to participate in remembrance services and marches, adding:

"We will not forget, and we will not back down."

Background Context

The 2024 protests began as decentralized, youth-led demonstrations organized via social media. A 2020 index ranked Kenya's police 125th out of 127 countries in institutional performance.