IPOA Verifies Only Three of 62 Anti-Finance Bill Protest Death Cases in Court

Only three of the sixty-two recorded death cases from the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests have formally made it to Kenyan courts, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority. The official progress report, which was released just before the second anniversary of the historic nationwide demonstrations led by young people, reveals significant structural delays in obtaining legal accountability for victims of fatal police action.

At a formal press conference in Nairobi on Monday, June 22, 2026, Vice Chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority Ann Mwangi declared that 46 critical cases are still under investigation at various stages. According to the oversight body, three additional files currently await comprehensive review by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, while several other investigations have either been closed entirely or referred for further internal legal analysis.

The slow legal progression of these sensitive cases has greatly intensified public scrutiny as Kenyans prepare to mark the upcoming second anniversary of the Occupy Parliament protests this coming Thursday. Mwangi attributed the lengthy delays to deep systemic challenges in gathering conclusive evidence, citing highly prolonged forensic examinations, missing eyewitness accounts, and coordination bottlenecks with the National Forensic Laboratory.

“Progression to court strictly depends on obtaining sufficient evidence and undergoing thorough prosecutorial review,” Mwangi stated during the press brief. “The oversight body cannot publicly disclose specific details of files currently under review by the public prosecutor to safeguard the absolute integrity of the process, protect vulnerable witnesses, and avoid prejudicing potential criminal proceedings.”

The comprehensive progress report also provided broader historical context, revealing that three major public order management events between 2024 and 2025 generated a collective total of 127 death-related cases across the country. This grim figure includes twenty-seven fatalities from the June 2025 Gen Z memorial demonstrations and thirty-eight deaths documented during the separate July 2025 Saba Saba protests. Out of those subsequent demonstrations, only one single case has successfully transitioned to court.

To accelerate accountability and address growing public frustration over the stagnation of justice, the oversight authority has adopted several critical measures, including recruiting additional investigators and implementing a specialized backlog reduction strategy. Families of the victims and local human rights organizations continue to demand complete transparency, maintaining close watch over police conduct and accountability mechanisms as the nation commemorates these national demonstrations.