The U.S. government has raised alarm over a sharp decline in Kenya’s human rights record in 2024, citing widespread abuses under President William Ruto’s administration. The U.S. Department of State’s latest Country Reports on Human Rights Practices highlights unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and growing restrictions on media freedom, particularly during the June and July 2024 "Gen Z" protests against proposed tax hikes.

• At least 60 people died in protest-related incidents, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) documenting 50 deaths and 199 injuries due to excessive police force.
• The report highlights 82 abductions or disappearances reported by KNCHR since June 2024, with 29 people still missing by year’s end, alongside allegations of torture and impunity within security agencies.
• Concerns were also raised regarding transnational repression, including the forced return of Ugandan opposition members from Kenya, and attacks on press freedom, with 24 cases of journalist harassment during the protests reported by the Media Council of Kenya.