Claims have emerged that the death toll from anti-government protests across Kenya has risen to 31.

The Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHCR) held a press conference on the 8th and announced that 31 people lost their lives in the protests on the 7th.

At the same time, it added that 107 people were injured and about 530 were arrested.

This figure is nearly three times higher than the initial death toll of 11 reported by the Kenyan police.

On the 7th of July 2025, while an anti-government protest called the Saba Saba People's March takes place in Nakuru, Kenya, riot police gather to disperse the demonstrators. /Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

The United Nations condemned the incident in which at least 31 people died due to the use of lethal force during clashes between the Kenyan police and protesters.

In an email statement that day, the UN expressed "deep concern over the killings that occurred in response to violent protests," noting that "lethal ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons were deployed."

On the previous day, the 7th, anti-government protests were held across various places in Kenya, including the capital Nairobi, in response to government corruption, police brutality, and the repression of government critics.

July 7th marks the anniversary of a large-scale pro-democracy protest 35 years ago in 1990, which called for a transition to multiparty democracy. It is referred to as "Saba Saba," meaning 7-7 in Swahili.

President William Ruto of Kenya has not yet made any official remarks regarding the protests or the scale of their impact, according to the Associated Press.

In Kenya, a large-scale protest commemorating the first anniversary of anti-tax protests was held on the 25th of last month, resulting in at least 19 deaths during the suppression process, bringing the total to 50 lives lost in protests over the past two weeks.

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