Kenya recorded a decline in overall crime reported to police stations in 2025, with murders at a four-year low in a year that also marked higher efficiency in the criminal justice system.
The murder figures had remained above the 3,000 mark over the past four years, dropping gradually to 3,056 in 2022, 3,031 in 2023 and 3,015 in 2024.
The number of murder investigations concluded, and prosecutions initiated in 2025 rose by 25 per cent to 914.
At the same time, the courts churned out 514 murder convictions in 2025. In 2024, the courts registered 374 convictions, in a year that 729 murder investigations led to the prosecution of suspects.
The data indicates an improvement in the speed of investigations and conclusion of the court process, hence an improvement in the efficiency of the criminal justice system.
The drop in reported murders mirrored a broader decline in crime, with total complaints lodged with police reducing from 101,220 in 2024 to 96,038 in 2025.
Among the 17 categories of crimes tracked by KNBS, only traffic offences and “other penal code offences” registered an increase. Traffic offences rose from 72 cases in 2024 to 109 in 2025, while other penal code offences increased from 14,959 to 15,380.
The report also indicates a slight decline in offences involving police officers, which dropped from 246 cases in 2024 to 216 in 2025, reversing a four-year upward trend that had seen the numbers rise steadily from 75 cases in 2021 to 246 in 2024.
Whereas there is no breakdown of the particular offences committed by police officers, there has been public uproar on the conduct of the police, ranging from human rights abuse to cases of murder, extrajudicial killings and soliciting bribes.
Integrity Centre in Nairobi which houses the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission offices.
Photo credit: Pool I Nation Media Group
In the fight against corruption, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) forwarded 175 reports to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), an increase from the 126 files forwarded in 2024.
In total, the number of documents forwarded to the EACC for investigations recorded a decline from 2,207 in 2024 to 1,846 in 2025, which is also the lowest figure in the past five years.
The value of assets acquired through corruption and which were traced by the EACC rose to Sh22.9 billion, an increase from Sh16 billion in 2024.
The state’s efforts in recovering illegal firearms have borne fruit, with the numbers increasing from 104 in 2024 to 427 in 2025. Rifles, at 361, took the biggest share of the recovered firearms, followed by pistols and toy pistols at 39 and 27, respectively.
The number of surrendered firearms also recorded a significant increase from a paltry 31 in 2024 to 1,291 in 2025, which comprised 1,288 rifles and three pistols.
Rounds of ammunition recovered stood at 3,554 while another 3,617 were surrendered in 2025, compared to 4,548 recovered and 272 surrendered in 2024, respectively.
Some of the 1,024 kilogrammes of synthetic drugs seized from six Iranian crew members aboard a vessel. The haul, estimated to be worth Sh8.2 billion, was seized about 650 km off the shore of Mombasa.
Photo credit: Wachira Mwangi | Nation Media Group
Whereas the number of crimes reported has reduced compared to previous years, security and safety consultant George Musamali said the statistics do not tell the full story of the country's security situation.
Kenyans, he said, no longer see the relevance of reporting cases to the police whenever they are affected by crimes, a phenomenon he said is due to “mistrust between the public and law enforcement authorities”.
“From my experience, security has deteriorated. There is an increase in crimes against persons and property. Cases of muggings, robberies and destruction of properties, including police stations, have risen sharply,
“It is very expensive for Kenyans to report cases or even follow up investigations because they will be asked for money to facilitate the investigations, so many Kenyans do not report cases,” he said.
