The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has called on Parliament to publicly release CCTV footage from the anti-finance bill protests on June 25, 2024, during which several protesters were reportedly shot inside parliamentary grounds.

The renewed demand comes as the country approaches the first anniversary of the protests, with the Gen Z movement planning a commemoration on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, to honour victims of the deadly crackdown.

Speaking during a television appearance on Monday, KHRC Communications Lead Ernest Oduor questioned why Parliament has remained silent nearly a year after the incident.

“Human Rights Watch documented that around 25 individuals were shot inside Parliament on June 25,” Oduor said.

“Bodies were collected that night under unclear circumstances, and the locations they were taken to remain unknown. So where is the footage from that day?”

The protests drew international attention over the scale of police response and widespread claims of state violence, including arrests, injuries, and alleged forced disappearances.

Oduor said KHRC and other civil society organisations had formally requested access to surveillance footage from Parliament but were given unconvincing explanations.

“We’ve sought the footage, yet the response we got claimed that the CCTV systems were not working on that very day,” he said. “How is it that a key national institution could conveniently have technical failure at such a critical moment?”

He condemned what he termed systemic impunity, saying that despite multiple reports of police misconduct during the protests, most victims have not received justice.

“We know of at least three confirmed fatalities at the hands of the police, but only one case has progressed to court. Families of other victims are still waiting, and let’s not forget the people who disappeared altogether. There’s been no closure, no justice,” he said.

KHRC is now urging Parliament to disclose the status of any internal investigations and release the CCTV footage from June 25, 2024. The organisation has warned that if transparency is not forthcoming, it will seek redress through constitutional and judicial means.