A Kenyan rights organisation has alleged that six protesters arrested during commemorations marking the second anniversary of the 2024 “Gen Z” anti-Finance Bill protests were later found abandoned and showing signs of torture.
According to the Kenya Human Rights Commission, the six individuals had been incommunicado since their arrest outside Parliament on Thursday, prompting concern from families, activists and human rights defenders who demanded their immediate release.
The arrests came as Kenya marked two years since the deadly June 2024 youth-led demonstrations, which saw widespread protests against the Finance Bill and clashes with security forces.
Families of victims killed during the 2024 protests, alongside activists and political figures, held a memorial march through Nairobi on Thursday to honour the dead and protest alleged police brutality. Authorities had meanwhile deployed heavy security and restricted access to key roads across the capital.
Interior Minister Kipchipba Murkomen said approximately 355 people were arrested nationwide during the demonstrations, with many already appearing in court.
However, the status of the six protesters detained outside Parliament remained unclear until Saturday morning, when they were reportedly found in different locations across Nairobi with injuries and taken to hospital. One person is still reported missing.
Local media reported that the recovered protesters showed signs consistent with physical abuse.
Human rights organisations have renewed calls for accountability and the protection of civil liberties as tensions remain high following the protests, which have resulted in dozens of deaths in both 2024 and 2025 according to police oversight data.
