Saturday, 19 September 2026

Kenya’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026

Saturday, 19 September 2026

Nairobi—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—

Kenyan press · Organization

Independent Police Oversight Authority

Also known as: IPOA

Independent Police Oversight Authority — investigates police conduct including deaths in custody and during protests, though critics cite data deletion and institutional barriers to accountability.

2026-04-242026-09-19

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

April 2026
28 AprThe Standard
… Subscribe to our newsletterJustice Kigen was the second candidate to appear before the JSC as it seeks to fill a Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Mohamed Ibrahim on December 17, 2025.Former IPOA chair Anne Makori was the first to be interviewed. …
Katwa Kigen: I will be fair in any case involving President Ruto
24 AprCitizen Digital
… Mugo’s brother, added: “The brotherhood and what happened outside Ishiara Level 4 Hospital will forever remain a testimony.” Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku led a government delegation in condemning the killing, calling on the Independent Police Oversight Authority …
One of 2 people shot dead by police during Ishiara hospital protests buried

Society

Journalists condemn Standard Group editor's abduction as press freedom threat

The News

Journalists across Kenya have condemned the abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, with media sector stakeholders warning the incident represents a dangerous attack on press freedom and describing it as a signal meant to instil fear in the Kenyan media. According to Reporters Without Borders, Kenya's World Press Freedom Index has fallen from 69th globally in 2022 to 106 out of 180 countries.

2 September 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 2 September

Journalists condemn Standard Group editor's abduction as press freedom threat
Journalists across Kenya have condemned the abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, with media sector stakeholders warning the incident represents a dangerous attack on press freedom and describing it as a signal meant to instil fear in the Kenyan media. According to Reporters Without Borders, Kenya's World Press Freedom Index has fallen from 69th globally in 2022 to 106 out of 180 countries.
2 September 2026 · The Standard →

Monday 31 August

Farmer killed at home; wife, watchman arrested in Trans-Nzoia
Police in Trans-Nzoia County are investigating the death of 68-year-old farmer Joseph Njenga, whose mutilated body was discovered at his home on Sunday morning hours after he hosted in-laws. His wife was found unconscious near Kitale town, and an unknown amount of money was stolen from the residence; the wife and watchman have been arrested.
31 August 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 21 August

Independent institutions fail to prevent political violence and disruption
Political violence, disruption of public gatherings and by-elections have left several people injured or dead, yet independent institutions mandated to prevent and address such incidents—including police, DCI, IPOA, NCIC and Parliament—have failed to act.
21 August 2026 · The Standard →

Saturday 15 August

Public institutions' blind spots threaten Kenya's 2027 elections
An opinion piece argues that Kenya's law enforcement, public service, and electoral commission are trapped in cycles of institutional myopia and entrenchment, with veteran operators nursing dangerous blind spots that risk electoral disaster. The author cites police brutality, including recent deaths during protests, as evidence of a force operating as an occupying army rather than public service, shaped by colonial-era command cultures and protected by a code of silence.
15 August 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 14 August

20 Kenyans died in police custody in eight months, 2026
Human rights groups IMLU and VOCAL Africa documented 20 deaths in police custody from January to August 2026, with victims aged 25 to 64. Post-mortem examinations show 8 were hanged, 5 were beaten to death with fatal head injuries, and 5 died from untreated medical conditions.
14 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Sunday 2 August

Nyong'o's development plan needs implementation discipline beyond vision
Prof Anyang' Nyong'o's "Road to Singapore" proposes a longer development story as Kenya moves beyond Vision 2030, arguing that nations transforming into high-income societies require sustained continuity and disciplined implementation across generations, not just new plans. The article notes Kenya has had multiple development initiatives and changes in government without achieving productive depth expected of an industrial society.
2 August 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 31 July

High Court to rule on exclusion of 35 abduction victims from compensation
A High Court judge will rule next Friday on a petition challenging the removal of 35 victims of abduction and enforced disappearance from a compensation list for anti-government protest victims. The petitioners accuse the Makau Mutua-led Panel of Experts of unlawfully excluding these victims and subjecting them to a new authentication process, while the KNCHR has backed the petition.
31 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
2007 sexual violence survivors seek justice and compensation at Supreme Court
Seven survivors of 2007–2008 post-election sexual violence, supported by rights organizations, argued before Kenya's Supreme Court that the government has failed to compensate them and prosecute perpetrators, including police. The Attorney General, DPP, and IPOA opposed the case, claiming the government pursued at least 300 sexual violence cases during the period.
31 July 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 22 July

Police delayed taking Ojwang to hospital by 24 minutes, court hears
An IPOA forensic expert told the court that police delayed taking the late Albert Ojwang to Mbagathi Hospital by 24 minutes on June 8, 2025, after departing Central Police Station where he had allegedly been assaulted, with CCTV footage showing the vehicle arrived at the hospital at 1:35 a.m., where Ojwang was pronounced dead on arrival.
22 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Monday 20 July

Director says teacher Albert Ojwang tortured and strangled to death
The Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga told a Kibra court that evidence indicates teacher Albert Ojwang was beaten with a blunt object and strangled to death in a planned killing, contradicting initial claims he hit his head accidentally. Evidence shows CCTV footage at Nairobi's Central Police Station and data from the Independent Police Oversight Authority were deleted and formatted to hide evidence.
20 July 2026 · The Standard →

Tuesday 7 July

Government must address youth grievances without intimidation
An opinion piece argues that the Kenyan government has failed to address issues raised by young people since the June 25, 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, instead resorting to intimidation and silencing critics. The writer contends that ongoing problems including corruption, punitive taxes, and police brutality persist due to lack of government goodwill.
7 July 2026 · The Standard →

Sunday 28 June

Government pays Ksh.448M to 348 protest victims so far
The government has paid Ksh.448 million in compensation to 348 Kenyans under a protest victims compensation framework, with 500 more victims expected to receive compensation in the coming week, according to Professor Makau Mutua, chairperson of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests.
28 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 25 June

President Ruto attacks Standard Media over coverage, draws backlash
President William Ruto criticized The Standard Media Group on X, describing its headlines as "extortionist propaganda" and alleging a five-day campaign against his administration. Legal scholars, human rights organizations, and the Kenya Union of Journalists condemned the attack as an attempt to undermine media independence.
25 June 2026 · The Standard →
Kakamega holds June 25 vigil; tension remains high
Family and residents held a candlelight vigil in Kakamega on the second anniversary of the June 25, 2024 Gen Z protests to honour Caroline Shiramba and other victims killed during nationwide demonstrations that left more than 60 people dead. The family renewed calls for justice, saying they had received no satisfactory answers about their daughter's death.
25 June 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 24 June

Kakamega family demands state compensation two years after police killing
Maurice and Alice Shiramba, parents of 34-year-old Caroline Shiramba who was killed by a stray bullet during the 2024 youth-led protests in Kakamega town, are urging President William Ruto to fast-track state compensation for families who lost loved ones in the deadly demonstrations.
24 June 2026 · The Standard →

Tuesday 23 June

Police violence victims reject Kenya's compensation offer as inadequate
Two years after Gen-Z protests in June 2024 that resulted in dozens of deaths, families of police violence victims say President Ruto's announcement of 2 billion shillings to compensate 1,100 affected people is insufficient and avoids accountability. According to the Independent Police Oversight Authority, 62 people died during the initial protests and 65 during anniversary protests in 2025, though rights groups estimate the toll is higher and say police were responsible.
23 June 2026 · The Standard →

Sunday 21 June

Victims of June 2024 protests demand justice ahead of memorial
As Kenya approaches the second anniversary of the June 2024 deadly protests against the Finance Bill, survivors and families of victims gathered at a church service to remember those who died. Survivors, some permanently injured, say their only remedy now is compensation as they wait for justice.
21 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 18 June

Protest victims' compensation panel unveils framework and eligibility criteria
A panel chaired by Prof. Makau Mutua has unveiled a compensation framework for victims of protest-related violence, detailing amounts eligible victims may receive. The panel has set aside Ksh.2 billion for compensation payments and published eligibility criteria and application guidelines ahead of the second anniversary of the June 25 protests.
18 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Monday 15 June

IPOA: no gun, bullet, or cartridge recovered in Rex Masai killing
An IPOA investigator told a Nairobi court that the gun, bullet, and spent cartridge used to kill Rex Masai during the June 20, 2024, Finance Bill protests were never recovered, with a compromised crime scene and lack of police cooperation leaving the inquest unsolved two years later.
15 June 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 10 June

Regulatory oversight needed to prevent school dormitory fires
An opinion piece argues that the fire at Utumishi Girls Senior School that killed 16 students exposes gaps in regulatory oversight of basic education institutions. The author calls for stronger enforcement of standards by the Educational Standards and Quality Assurance Council (ESQAC) and other oversight bodies to prevent future catastrophes.
10 June 2026 · The Standard →

Tuesday 28 April

Court of Appeal judge addresses impartiality concerns at Supreme Court interview
Justice Joseph Katwa Kigen appeared before the Judicial Service Commission to address concerns over his impartiality should he be appointed to the Supreme Court, given his previous role as lawyer to President William Ruto. He assured commissioners he would remain neutral and strictly adhere to the law in presidential election petitions.
28 April 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Court of Appeal judge promises fairness in disputes involving President
Court of Appeal judge Katwa Kigen, a former lawyer for President William Ruto, told the Judicial Service Commission he would remain neutral and be guided by facts and law in any election-related disputes involving the President that reach the Supreme Court, where he is seeking appointment. He acknowledged public concerns about his past legal representation of Ruto but argued that many judges previously worked as advocates and questioned why concerns focused on only one client.
28 April 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 24 April

Police shooting victim from Ishiara hospital protests buried
One of two people shot dead by police during protests over health services at Ishiara Level 4 Hospital in Mbeere North Constituency, Embu County, has been laid to rest. The family of Morris Mugo, 31, is demanding justice and compensation, while the Public Service Cabinet Secretary called for IPOA investigations into the killing.
24 April 2026 · Citizen Digital →