By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, 11 December 2025 - Kenya has recorded more than 1,000 homicides in the past year, with a new national study warning that ordinary disagreements inside homes and communities are increasingly escalating into fatal violence.
The report by the National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) paints a sobering picture of a country where most victims die at the hands of people they know — neighbours, family members, intimate partners, or acquaintances. Of the 1,011 cases analysed, eight in ten victims had some form of relationship with their attackers. The majority were men, often caught in confrontations linked to cattle rustling, land disputes, mob justice, and alcohol-fuelled conflicts. Women, meanwhile, were mostly killed in domestic disputes, love triangles, and property-related disagreements.
Behind the numbers are communities struggling with overlapping pressures: economic hardship, limited opportunities for young people, substance abuse, unresolved family tensions, and a growing acceptance of violence as a way of settling disputes. Researchers noted that many killings stemmed from preventable situations that escalated due to weak community support systems and strained mental health.
Nairobi recorded the highest number of cases at 80, with violence heavily concentrated in poorer neighbourhoods such as Starehe, Mathare, Kayole, Embakasi and Kariobangi. Similar patterns were observed in other urban centres where informal settlements, overcrowding, poor lighting and proximity to entertainment spots made residents more vulnerable.
Across rural counties, homicides were common in regions grappling with land conflicts or inter-communal tensions, particularly in Kilifi, Homa Bay, Narok and Trans-Nzoia.
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The report also highlights gaps in the criminal justice system. Investigators face shortages of skills, equipment and forensic resources, often resulting in stalled investigations and untraced suspects. Public mistrust — fuelled partly by corruption and delayed court processes — has further discouraged communities from cooperating with police.
Although Kenya enacted the National Coroners Service Act in 2017 to improve investigations into suspicious deaths, it has not been operationalised. The NCRC now wants the government to prioritise its implementation, strengthen the Directorate of Homicide Investigations and expand forensic capacity.
As the country absorbs the findings, researchers warn that addressing homicide requires more than policing. It calls for stronger family support structures, improved mental health services, community-based conflict resolution, and a renewed national commitment to protecting vulnerable groups.
