Kenya’s top four security chiefs are facing mounting legal pressure as activist and gospel musician Reuben Kigame seeks court approval to privately prosecute them for alleged crimes against humanity linked to the 2024–2025 Gen Z protests.
In a petition filed on Thursday, August 1, 2025, Kigame accused Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director-General Noordin Haji, and Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin of orchestrating or permitting extra-judicial killings, abductions, enforced disappearances, torture, and systematic suppression of peaceful protestors.
The protests, which erupted nationwide in response to the 2024 Finance Bill, the rising cost of living, and escalating corruption, were largely led by Gen Z demonstrators who mobilized through social media to demand government accountability and economic reforms.
Allegations Against Security Chiefs
- Extra-Judicial Killings: Protest-related fatalities allegedly resulting from police shootings and violent crackdowns.
- Abductions and Disappearances: Cases of missing activists and organizers, believed to have been secretly detained.
- Torture and Harassment: Testimonies suggest systematic intimidation of demonstrators, including targeted arrests.
- Suppression of Dissent: Security agencies allegedly employed unconstitutional measures to silence anti-government voices.
Kigame argues that the state’s response violated both Kenyan constitutional protections and international human rights standards, warranting criminal accountability for top officials.
Political and Legal Implications
The move to privately prosecute top security bosses represents a rare challenge to Kenya’s powerful security apparatus, signaling that civil society is unwilling to let the Gen Z deaths go unpunished.
If the court grants Kigame’s request, the case could set a historic precedent for holding state officials personally accountable for human rights violations. It could also intensify political pressure on the Ruto administration amid growing public anger over economic hardships and governance issues.
Human rights groups are closely watching the proceedings, with many emphasizing that justice for Gen Z victims would be a turning point for rule of law and police accountability in Kenya.