Thursday 13th August, 2026 06:42 AM|
Kenya recorded 453 protests in the first six months of 2026, a 29 per cent increase from the same period in 2025, as rising prices, fuel costs and wider economic grievances pushed more people onto the streets.
The figure is contained in the latest Kenya Freedom Index by Odipo Dev and Amnesty International Kenya, which documented 1,292 protest events across the country between January 2025 and June 2026.
Of the total, 839 protests occurred in 2025, while 453 were recorded between January and June 2026 alone. The latest figures indicate that Kenya’s protest movement has continued to expand despite the deadly demonstrations witnessed in previous years.
The report links the increase largely to economic pressures, with price increases, particularly fuel price hikes, emerging as a major trigger during the first half of 2026.
Food, housing and education also remained among the significant issues driving public demonstrations.
Economic pressure drives protests
Economic grievances were the leading driver of protests across the two periods analysed by the Kenya Freedom Index.
In 2025, demonstrations were largely associated with labour disputes, pay and poor working conditions. By the first half of 2026, rising prices and fuel costs had become major catalysts for public anger.
The national government was the largest target of protests during the first six months of 2026, with 183 documented events. That figure was almost equal to the 184 protests targeting the national government throughout the whole of 2025.
Residents and community groups continued to form the backbone of the protest movement, while students remained among the most organised and recurring groups.
Peaceful marches were the most common form of protest. However, the report also documented an increase in road blockages and other disruptive actions, which it said may indicate growing frustration with official responses.
Odipo Dev Co-Founder Odanga Madung said the figures showed Kenyans were repeatedly taking to the streets because their economic, social and political concerns were not being adequately addressed.
“The state’s response must not be repression.”
Madung said Kenyans had the right to protest peacefully, express dissent and demand accountability without facing unlawful violence, arbitrary arrest or death.
Police response under scrutiny
The growing number of demonstrations has coincided with continued concerns over police use of force, arrests and injuries.
The Kenya Freedom Index previously documented 138 deaths, 1,227 injuries and 2,128 arrests across 1,002 protests between 2020 and 2025. The figures are documented counts compiled from multiple sources and should not be interpreted as a complete record of every protest-related incident.
The latest report separately identifies June and July 2025 as the deadliest protest period covered by the Index.
IPOA recorded 65 deaths during the period, while KNCHR separately recorded 19 deaths on June 25 and 38 on July 7, 2025.
The two institutions also reported different injury figures. KNCHR recorded 531 injuries on June 25, while IPOA recorded 195 on the same day. IPOA recorded another 146 injuries on July 7.
Arrests also reached a peak during the 2025 protests. IPOA recorded 760 arrests on July 7, the highest single-day arrest figure recorded for 2025.
The pressure has continued into 2026. During anti-fuel-hike protests on May 18, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration reported 348 arrests, while the Directorate of Criminal Investigations reported 710 arrests. A further 355 arrests were reported on June 25.
By the end of June 2026, police dispersals had already reached 77 per cent of the entire 2025 total, while arrests had reached 73 per cent of the previous year’s total.
Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director George Morara said authorities should protect peaceful demonstrations rather than treat legitimate dissent as a security threat.
“The right to peaceful assembly is protected under Kenya’s Constitution and international human rights law.”
The report said tear gas was the most frequently documented weapon used by police during protests in both 2025 and the first half of 2026, followed by live ammunition.
It warned that lethal force should only be used when strictly necessary to protect life from an imminent threat of death or serious injury.
2026 protests raise new concerns
The latest numbers show why protests are emerging as a major economic, governance and public-order issue in Kenya.
In just six months, the country recorded more than half as many protests as it did throughout the whole of 2025. The 453 demonstrations recorded by June also represented a 29 per cent increase compared with the first half of last year.
The trend suggests that the grievances behind Kenya’s protest movement have not disappeared.
Instead, economic concerns are increasingly translating into street demonstrations, with fuel prices now playing a particularly prominent role.
The report also shows that the protests are not driven solely by political activists. Residents, community groups, workers and students remain central to the movement, while peaceful marches continue to account for the largest share of protest activity.
Odipo Dev and Amnesty International Kenya have called on the government to respect and facilitate peaceful assembly, while urging police to use force only when lawful, necessary and proportionate.
They are also calling for investigations into deaths, injuries, claimed torture, unlawful use of force and arbitrary arrests linked to protests.
The organisations have further urged President William Ruto’s administration to address the economic and social grievances driving demonstrations through transparent, inclusive and meaningful public participation.
For the government, the warning from the 2026 Kenya Freedom Index is clear: the country’s protest movement is not fading. It is increasingly being fuelled by economic pressures that directly affect households, workers and communities.
With 453 protests already recorded by June, the second half of 2026 could determine whether the current wave remains a series of isolated demonstrations or develops into an even broader national protest movement.
