Kenya Faces UN Sanctions Over Abductions and Human Rights Violations

The Kenyan government is staring at possible United Nations sanctions, including aid cuts, after failing to respond to official inquiries about widespread human rights abuses against protesters and government critics.

Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, has publicly expressed frustration over Kenya’s silence on two separate letters she sent seeking clarification on allegations of arbitrary arrests, abductions, enforced disappearances and excessive use of force by security agencies.

The first letter, dated October 1, 2024, sought answers on the government’s crackdown during the June 2024 protests against the Finance Bill. A second letter followed on August 5, 2025, addressing similar concerns about protests marking the anniversary of the June 25, 2024 demonstrations. Both letters have gone unanswered despite a mandatory 60-day response window.

Ms Lawlor has now gone public with her concerns, posting on social media that she regrets not receiving any response from the Kenyan government.

Her letters detailed allegations of abductions, enforced disappearances and detention of protesters, activists, lawyers, medical professionals and human rights defenders during the anti-Finance Bill demonstrations.

The protests began in June 2024 when Kenyans took to the streets opposing punitive taxation measures in the proposed Finance Bill. On June 25, 2024, protesters stormed Parliament shortly after legislators passed the controversial bill, leading to deadly clashes with security forces. Reports indicate that five protesters died from gunshots within parliament precincts, 21 others were abducted, and dozens sustained injuries from live bullets and rubber bullets.

According to Ms Lawlor’s letters, between 300 and 400 protesters were arrested on June 18, 2024 alone. By June 20, about 100 more people had been arrested, with one person killed and over 200 injured from police violence. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, a state agency, reported that at least 59 persons were abducted or went missing during the protests.

The UN rapporteur highlighted particularly troubling allegations of a special team from the National Intelligence Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations monitoring social media to identify protest leaders and persons with large online followings. Many of those targeted were reportedly taken to unofficial detention facilities, interrogated without lawyers present, and later released in unknown locations far from where they were abducted.

Ms Lawlor noted that the allegations, if confirmed, would constitute serious violations of international human rights law and Kenya’s obligations under the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights, which the country ratified in 1972.

International Relations expert Professor Macharia Munene said the government’s silence gives the impression that it does not consider itself answerable to UN officials and believes it can act without accountability. The non-responsiveness invites scrutiny from the United Nations Human Rights Council, where Kenya is a signatory, potentially resulting in sanctions and damage to the country’s international reputation.

Efforts to reach Attorney General Dorcas Oduor and Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei for comment were unsuccessful. Former Attorney General Justin Muturi, who left office on July 11, 2024, said he was unaware of the letters.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has documented incidents of excessive force by police, including fatal shootings, assaults and abductions during the protests.

Ms Lawlor warned that her office is considering publicly expressing concerns about the case, believing the wider public should be informed about the implications for human rights in Kenya. She emphasized that any public statement would indicate that her office attempted to contact the government to clarify these serious allegations.

The UN rapporteur’s letters requested detailed information about the legal basis for arrests, the status of detained protesters, measures to protect human rights defenders, and investigations into the use of excessive and lethal force. The government has yet to provide any of this information, leaving the fate and whereabouts of many protesters unknown.