Ipoa Flags Police Brutality During Gen Z Anniversary Protests, Confirms Civilian Deaths and Injuries
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The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) has raised serious concerns over the conduct of law enforcement officers during the Gen Z anniversary protests held on June 25, 2025. In a preliminary monitoring report released Wednesday evening, Ipoa confirmed that police used excessive force, including live ammunition, tear gas, batons, and water cannons, to disperse demonstrators across 24 counties. The Authority documented eight civilian deaths and over 200 injuries, some involving gunshot wounds, signaling a troubling escalation in crowd control tactics.
Ipoa noted that some police officers concealed their identities, a direct violation of legal procedures governing public order enforcement. In addition to the casualties, the Authority recorded the arrest of 61 suspected protesters and widespread destruction of property, attributed in part to infiltration by non-peaceful elements. Despite these disruptions, the protests were originally intended as peaceful commemorations of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations, during which dozens of young Kenyans were killed.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK), which deployed its own monitoring team, corroborated Ipoa’s findings, stating that its observers had witnessed “use of excessive and varied force by police officers.” Ipoa has since launched urgent investigations into the incidents and pledged to release a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations. The Authority also urged Kenyans affected by the violence to file formal complaints through designated communication channels as monitoring continues across affected areas.