Octopizzo condemns police killings, warns of grave human rights crisis
Kenyan artiste and activist Henry Ohanga, alias Octopizzo, has warned that Kenya risks facing a grave human rights crisis following the police killings witnessed during protests.
In a strongly worded statement issued via his official social media accounts on the night of Monday, July 7, 2025, Octopizzo decried the rising number of unarmed civilians and protestors killed by police during recent demonstrations across the country.
You might also like
He warned that the state was no longer enforcing law and order, but perpetrating violence against its own people.
“Kenya is facing a grave human rights crisis. The right to life enshrined in Article 26 of our Constitution and international human rights law is being violated by the very forces meant to uphold it,” Octopizzo wrote on X.
Execution of unarmed citizens
The rapper, known for using his platform to speak on social justice issues, said what began as the targeting of protestors has now morphed into the execution of unarmed citizens—even those inside their homes—without charge or trial.
According to Octopizzo, the action taken by the police during the demonstrations is not law enforcement but state-sanctioned violence.
“What began as the killing of protestors has now escalated to the execution of unarmed civilians, some shot from their homes without charge or trial. This is not law enforcement; it is state-sanctioned violence,” he stated.
He further offered heartfelt solidarity to the families mourning loved ones killed during the protests, assuring them that their pain had not gone unnoticed.
“To the families grieving loved ones who simply demanded justice and a better Kenya, we see you, we stand with you, and we will not be silent. Calling for change should never be a death sentence,” the rapper stated.
Protests deaths
Octopizzo’s remarks come moments after the National Police Service (NPS) confirmed that 11 people lost their lives in various parts of the country during Saba Saba protests on Monday, July 7, 2025.
In a statement issued by police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, NPS indicated that all 11 were civilians, while 11 others also sustained injuries.
According to the statement, 52 security officers were also injured while maintaining order during the Saba Saba Day commemoration.
