At least ten people have been confirmed dead, scores injured and others abducted during Wednesday’s Saba Saba protests, marking one of the bloodiest days since Kenya’s youth-led Gen Z uprising began in June.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said the casualties occurred during day-long demonstrations held across the country to commemorate Saba Saba Day, historically tied to Kenya’s push for democracy. The protests, which drew thousands of young Kenyans to the streets, were met with widespread police crackdowns in what observers described as excessive and unlawful force.

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“As of 1830hrs today, the Commission had documented ten (10) fatalities, twenty-nine (29) injuries, two (2) cases of abduction and thirty-seven (37) arrests across seventeen (17) counties,” KNCHR said in a statement.

The deaths were reported in Kitengela, Ongata Rongai, Kangemi, Embu, and Ol Kalou. Several victims were shot by police, with videos from Kitengela and Rongai showing officers in unmarked Subaru vehicles opening fire on unarmed protesters and violently assaulting others, triggering public outrage.

KNCHR accused the National Police Service of defying a standing High Court order that prohibits the deployment of officers in plain clothes or unmarked vehicles during public demonstrations. The Commission said it observed hooded and unidentifiable officers, not in official uniform, patrolling Nairobi, Kajiado, and Nakuru counties in blatant disregard of the court directive.

Worryingly, the Commission also reported the presence of criminal gangs wielding crude weapons—including whips, wooden clubs, machetes, spears, bows, and arrows—in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Eldoret. In some cases, these gangs were seen operating alongside police officers, raising concerns of state-sanctioned vigilantism.

The latest deaths come just days after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen was captured on video ordering police to shoot and kill protesters if they approached police stations or posed a threat to officers.

“That is why you are issued with guns. Protect your lives. Open fire and shoot at them if it’s about 20 or so people—and this is an order from above, not just from me,” Murkomen said in the video, which has since gone viral.

His remarks have drawn sharp criticism from rights groups, opposition leaders, and legal experts. A petition has already been filed at the High Court seeking to bar Murkomen from office and hold him personally liable for inciting extrajudicial killings.

Wednesday’s fatalities add to the growing toll since Gen Z-led protests erupted last year in opposition to the controversial Finance Bill 2024, which was later withdrawn following public pressure. More than 60 people were killed at the time.

At least 39 people have now died in connection with the protests over the past three weeks, according to human rights monitors. Many were shot by police during demonstrations in Nairobi, Mlolongo, Matuu, Kisii, Nyeri, Londiani, Kisumu, and Migori.

Numerous protesters have been abducted, tortured, or forcibly disappeared—with their families and lawyers denied access. Civil society groups have condemned the escalating violence and called for independent investigations into police conduct.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who had planned to lead a rally at Kamukunji Grounds to commemorate Saba Saba, cancelled the event after police sealed off the venue and mounted roadblocks across Nairobi.

Instead, he addressed a press conference at Serena Hotel, where he condemned the state’s repression and warned of a growing authoritarian shift in the country.

“What was meant to be a peaceful day of national reflection turned into a day of fear. This government is using force to silence its own citizens,” Odinga said.

He proposed an urgent Inter-Generational National Conclave, bringing together youth, civil society, political actors, professionals, and religious leaders to chart a way forward and address what he described as “irreducible minimums” for national reform.

“The people are hungry, the youth are angry, and the leadership is absent. We must act now,” he added.

Odinga called for immediate accountability for police killings and demanded the protection of civil liberties, including the right to peaceful assembly, free speech, and freedom from arbitrary arrest.

KNCHR also condemned the attack on Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) offices on Tuesday, where hired goons assaulted staff and members of the public. Journalists covering the incident were harassed and robbed. The attackers, according to KNCHR, were captured on CCTV and must be brought to justice.

Additionally, the Commission expressed deep concern over the increasing persecution of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs). In the past week alone, over 20 HRDs have reportedly been beaten, arrested, summoned, or charged—simply for supporting or organising the Gen Z protests.

KNCHR urged the government to immediately cease harassment of civil society, respect court orders, and allow lawful protests to proceed without violence or intimidation.