By Faith Chondol
Six Kenyan protesters who disappeared after being arrested during a memorial march marking the second anniversary of the country’s Gen Z anti-government protests were found injured and abandoned in different parts of Nairobi on Saturday June 27th 2026, according to human rights groups.
The protesters were among demonstrators detained by police outside Parliament during commemorations of the June 2024 youth-led uprising, which left scores dead and became a defining moment in Kenya’s recent political history.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said the six individuals had been held incommunicado since their arrest on Thursday before being discovered with injuries consistent with torture and assault.
“They report being brutally assaulted by police while in custody,” the rights group said in a statement, adding that one detainee remained missing.
The memorial march brought together families of victims killed during the 2024 protests, activists and opposition politicians demanding accountability for alleged police abuses and extrajudicial killings.
Authorities deployed heavily armed security personnel and sealed off major roads leading to Parliament amid fears of unrest. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said 355 people were arrested nationwide during the demonstrations, with many appearing in court on Friday.
The circumstances surrounding the detention and alleged torture of the six protesters have intensified scrutiny of Kenya’s security forces, which have long faced accusations of police brutality, enforced disappearances and excessive use of force.
According to Kenya’s police watchdog, at least 127 people were killed during anti-government protests in 2024 and 2025, with rights organizations accusing security agencies of acting with near-total impunity.
The latest incident is expected to increase pressure on the Kenyan government to investigate allegations of torture and unlawful detention while addressing growing concerns over civil liberties and the treatment of protesters.
Authorities had not publicly responded to the allegations by Saturday evening.
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