Rights Groups Take Top Security Chiefs to Court Over Political Attacks

Kenya, October 28, 2026 - Rights groups have dragged Kenya’s top security leaders to court. They say the State is failing to stop organised attacks on people who gather for politics or civic meetings. The case was filed at the Milimani High Court in Nairobi on 28 October 2026.

The groups include the Kenya Human Rights Commission, Katiba Institute and the Independent Medico-Legal Unit. They name the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, the head of the National Intelligence Service Noordin Haji, and the Attorney General as respondents. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen oversees these offices.

The petitioners say attacks on political meetings, civic events and religious gatherings are rising. They warn that this threatens free speech and the right to assemble as the country moves toward the 2027 elections. They want the court to order proper investigations into these incidents.

One example they give is an attack on the Kenya Human Rights Commission offices in Nairobi on 6 July 2025. A group of people, some on motorcycles, stormed the place and stopped a press conference. Mothers of people killed or hurt by police had gathered there to call for calm. The rights group says it gave police CCTV footage and other evidence, but little has been done since.

The groups argue that the State has a duty to protect citizens who use their constitutional rights. They say failing to investigate these attacks leaves people afraid to meet or speak out. They also want checks on whether any political actors are paying or organising the groups that disrupt meetings.