Karua demands accountability after Saba Saba death toll hits 38
People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has called for accountability following the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHCR) report confirming a death toll of 38 as a result of violence surrounding the recent Saba Saba protests.
The KNHCR report marked a significant increase from the 31 deaths reported earlier in the week, underscoring the severity of the unrest commemorating the 35th anniversary of the historic 1990 pro-democracy demonstrations.
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Taking to her official X account on Saturday, July 12, 2025, Karua expressed her outrage with a succinct yet powerful statement, terming the death toll as terrible.
“Terrible! We need accountability, however long it takes,” Karua stated.
Saba Saba death toll
KNCHR has confirmed that the death toll from the Saba Saba demonstrations has risen to 38, with at least 130 more people injured across the country.
In a press statement released Friday, July 11, 2025, evening, the Commission condemned the excessive use of force and called on the government to urgently address the mounting human rights violations.
The demonstrations, held annually on July 7, 2025, to mark the struggle for multiparty democracy in Kenya, turned deadly this year amid growing public discontent over economic conditions and governance.
Saba Saba deaths distribution
According to KNCHR, the fatalities span several counties, with Kiambu recording the highest number at eight deaths, followed by Nairobi and Kajiado with six each.
“The Commission observes that the death toll has now risen to thirty-eight (38) people as of 1800 hrs today,” KNCHR stated. At least one hundred and thirty (130) people are still nursing injuries at home and in various health facilities across the country,” the statement read.
The Commission reported that 14 out of the 15 postmortems conducted so far revealed that victims died from gunshot wounds, raising serious questions about the conduct of security forces during the protests.
Among the dead is a 12-year-old girl from Kiambu who was fatally shot while watching television at home.
KNCHR emphasised that the majority of the victims are youth below 25 years, with four women and two children among the deceased.
“The Commission has been assisting the families of the deceased in conducting postmortems in collaboration with the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) and other partners in the Civil Society,” the statement said.
