FIDA Condemns Police Brutality, Demands Answers for Children Killed in Protests
In picture, the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA) representatives, during a press briefing in Nairobi
By Aoma Keziah,
The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) has joined the growing chorus of grief and outrage across the country following weeks of deadly protests that have shaken the nation’s conscience. In a press conference on Tuesday, the organisation expressed sorrow and anger over the killing of peaceful demonstrators, including children, and called for urgent accountability.
The protests on June 18, June 25, and most recently, on July 7 (Saba Saba Day) have left at least 50 people dead, according to figures confirmed by civil society groups, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), and media reports. Among the latest victims is 12-year-old Bridget Wainaina, who died after being struck by a stray bullet while inside her family compound in Nairobi.
“No parent should have to bury their child for standing up for their future. No citizen should pay with their life for raising their voice,” said FIDA Kenya Chairperson Christine Kungu.
The organisation, known for its advocacy on women’s rights and access to justice, condemned what it described as a pattern of state-sanctioned violence and lawlessness. The statement painted a grim picture of a country drifting into lawless territory, with peaceful protests met by live bullets, forced disappearances, and unchecked brutality.
“Our country is hurting, we have witnessed the storming of homes, women being assaulted in broad daylight, hospitals turned into danger zones, and public confidence in the rule of law pushed to the edge,” stated Board Secretary Angela Mwadumbu.
Footage widely circulated online showed plainclothes officers and masked men chasing protestors through alleyways, into homes, and in some cases, firing live ammunition at crowds. There were also disturbing scenes of violent mobs beating civilians as uniformed officers looked on.
In one of the more shocking incidents, armed men disrupted a press briefing hosted by the Kenya Human Rights Commission on July 6. The attackers targeted journalists, rights defenders, and women who had gathered to speak out against police excesses.
Furthermore, there were the reports of sexual violence that surfaced in the aftermath. According to KNCHR and independent monitors, several women were raped or assaulted by both law enforcement officers and criminal elements who used the unrest to unleash targeted terror. The organisation warned against allowing such crimes to become normalised.
“These acts not only violate the bodies of women they seek to silence them. It is a deliberate weapon used to erase women from the frontlines of civic action,” Mwadumbu added.
They also criticised the police service for defying court orders, including directives that barred officers from wearing masks and ordered free passage along public roads during protests. Instead, the public was met with roadblocks, barbed wire, and heavily armed personnel. The group noted that many officers operated in unmarked vehicles and without name tags, raising concerns over accountability and chain of command.
In a pointed call to action, they demanded swift and decisive steps from the authorities, including: Public disclosure and arrest of officers responsible for unlawful shootings, house raids, and collaboration with violent gangs, a full independent probe into all reported cases of police abuse, including rape, enforced disappearances, and torture, emergency protection and support services for survivors, including access to medical care, trauma counselling, and legal aid, strengthening security at hospitals to ensure medical workers and patients are not targeted during unrest and expedited reports and public disclosures from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) on the conduct of police during the protests.
The organisation further urged President William Ruto to take a more visible leadership role in calming the crisis.
“There is a widening crack between the people and the state, healing begins with acknowledgment. The president must listen, must see, and must act,” remarked FIDA-Kenya Executive Director Anne Ireri
To support victims, FIDA-Kenya announced it had activated a legal response centre offering aid, trauma counselling, and other support services to both women and men affected during the unrest.
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