Kenya
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist de facto
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Murder, treason and armed robbery are capital crimes
- News items in the archive
- 328
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Kenya is classified as Abolitionist de facto in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 328 news items on Kenya, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
FEBRUARY 19, 2026KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: MACHARIA SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DEFILING, KILLING 7-YEAR-OLD TAMARA KABURA
Nyeri High Court on February 19, 2026 sentenced Nicholas Julius Macharia to death after he pleaded guilty to the brutal defilement and murder of seven-year-old Tamara Blessing Kabura.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2025KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: MURDER CONVICT GETS 22 YEARS AFTER APPEALING DEATH SENTENCE
The High Court in Eldoret has issued a major ruling reducing the sentence of a man who had spent more than a decade on death row.
JUNE 17, 2025KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: AFTER 18 YEARS IN JAIL, COURT APOLOGISES TO MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH
Lulu Adu was just 17 when he was sentenced to die in Kenya. Eighteen years later, a court finally acknowledged its mistake — and set him free, The Star reported on June 17, 2025.
JUNE 11, 2025KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: KIBERA COURT SENTENCES SERIAL PHONE THIEF TO DEATH
A Kenyan court has handed a death sentence to Isaac Khanga after finding him guilty on two counts of robbery with violence, KBC Digital reported on June 10, 2025.
- MARCH 30, 2025Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
STEPHEN MUNYAKHO SET TO RETURN HOME AFTER MUSLIM WORLD LEAGUE CLEARED $1MILLION FINE IN SAUDI ARABIA
The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem) has confirmed the payment of Sh129 million to Saudi Arabian authorities for the release of Kenyan Stephen Munyakho, also known as Abdulkarim, SyndiGate Media reported on March 28, 2025.
- FEBRUARY 17, 2025KenyaDEATH PENALTY
ICJ KENYA WELCOMES PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW OF DEATH PENALTY AS CRUCIAL
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya has praised the formation of a Parliamentary Task Force to review the country’s death penalty laws, calling it a crucial step in justice reform, Capitalfm website reported on February 13, 2025.
JUNE 17, 2024KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: COURT SENTENCES MAN TO DEATH FOR USING DRUGS TO OVERPOWER AND VIOLENTLY ROB VICTIMS
A man was sentenced to death on June 14, 2024 in Kenya after being found guilty of robbery with violence and using overpowering drugs to stupefy his victims.
- MARCH 23, 2024KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA: JOSEPH 'JOWIE' IRUNGU SENTENCED TO DEATH IN MONICA KIMANI MURDER CASE
Joseph Irungu alias Jowie on March 13, 2024 was sentenced to death after he was found guilty of the 2018 murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani.
JULY 24, 2023KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: RUTO REDUCES SENTENCES FOR ALL DEATH ROW CONVICTS
President William Ruto on July 21, 2023 reduced the death sentence for all capital offenders to a life sentence.
- JULY 13, 2023KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA: DEATH ROW SUSPECT SET FREE OVER GIRLFRIEND'S CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE
Kenya Court of Appeal on July 7, 2023 granted the appeal of a man who had been sentenced to death for armed robbery.
JULY 12, 2023KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR TWO MEN WHO VIOLENTLY ROBBED WOMAN
An Eldoret Court on July 5, 2023 sentenced to death two men for the offence of robbery with violence.
JUNE 14, 2023KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: JUDGES RULE ON APPEAL OF MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE
A court of Appeal in Kisumu on June 12, 2023 dismissed an appeal filed by a convict serving a death sentence for stealing Nokia 3110, among other valuables worth Ksh46,000.
- APRIL 27, 2023KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA: SENTENCE OF MAN CONVICTED OF ROLE IN BRITON’S MURDER IS QUASHED
A man found guilty of being part of a gang of pirates who murdered a British tourist 12 years ago has had his conviction quashed by Kenya’s high court.
FEBRUARY 7, 2023KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: FORMER POLICEMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
A Kenyan former policeman on 3 February 2023 was sentenced to death for the murder of a human rights lawyer, his client and a taxi driver.
- JANUARY 25, 2023KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA: 43% OF PRISONERS ON DEATH ROW DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING DURING TRIAL - REPORT
Fourty-three per cent of inmates on death row did not understand what was happening during their trial. This is according to a report launched on 24 January 2023 by the Death Penalty Project, in partnership with Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
NOVEMBER 14, 2022KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR STEALING FROM A BODA BODA RIDER
Moses Kirimi, a man who posed as a passenger and stole from a Boda Boda Rider has been sentenced to death in Kenya, Nairobi Gossip Club reported on 3 November 2022.
- JUNE 20, 2022KenyaDEATH PENALTY
NEW RESEARCH EXAMINES KENYAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE DEATH PENALTY
A new study, commissioned by The Death Penalty Project, London, in partnership with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Nairobi, has revealed that...
- JUNE 18, 2022KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA: GUARD RICHARD MUTAI SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER
A 34-year-old Kenyan night guard has been sentenced to death over the killing of another man following an altercation between them, MaraviPost reported on 14 June 2022.
FEBRUARY 22, 2022KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: MAN CONVICTED TO DEATH FOR ROBBING CHINESE BOSS SH30,000
A Kibera court on 22 February 2022 convicted a man to death for attacking his Chinese boss at an apartment in Kilimani and violently stealing his cash and phone.
JANUARY 25, 2022KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: MAN WHO VIOLENTLY STOLE PHONES, CASH SENTENCED TO DEATH
A man accused of using excessive force to steal mobile phones and some cash from two city businessmen has been sentenced to death, Nairobi News reported on 21 January 2022.
MAY 18, 2021KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN WHO KILLED A ‘THIEF’ WHO WASN’T A THIEF
A Court of Appeal on 13 May 2021 upheld a High Court’s judgement, which sentenced a middle-aged man to death for taking part in the killing of a man, who had been mistaken for a thief, the Standard reported on 18 May 2021.
- APRIL 27, 2021KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA: DEATH ROW CONVICT FREED, CO-ACCUSED SENTENCED TO DEATH
A death row convict Dickson Amalemba Lisanza has been freed after seven years in jail, The Standard reported on 27 April 2021.
NOVEMBER 9, 2020KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: BOYFRIEND KILLER LOSES DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL
Former Miss Langata Women Prison beauty queen Ruth Kamande who was convicted of murder for stabbing her boyfriend twenty-two times at Buruburu estate in 2015 will remain behind bars after the Court of Appeal on 6 November 2020 upheld her death sentence.
JUNE 22, 2020KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: TWO COPS TO SERVE 10-YEAR JAIL TERM AFTER SUCCESSFUL APPEAL
The Court of Appeal on 19 June 2020 reduced the death sentence of two police officers convicted of murdering an Administration Police officer and two relatives of an MP.
APRIL 9, 2020KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: REPRIEVE FOR MAN ON DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING 4-YEAR-OLD BOY
A man who had been sentenced to death for killing his neighbour's four-year-old boy by strangling and chopping off his limbs will now serve 30 years in jail, The Star reported on 7 April 2020.
APRIL 2, 2020KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: 23 DEATH ROW PRISONERS ESCAPE HANGMAN
Twenty three death row inmates at Shimo La Tewa Maximum Security Prison in Kilifi County on 31 March 2020 evaded the hangman's noose.
APRIL 1, 2020KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: 180 CONVICTS FREED FROM SHIMO LA TEWA MAXIMUM PRISON
A judge in Mombasa has released 180 prisoners from Shimo La Tewa Maximum Prison to serve the remaining jail terms at home, The Standard reported on 25 March 2020.
- JANUARY 1, 2020KenyaDEATH PENALTY
the mandatory death sentence is no longer lawful in Kenya
the mandatory death sentence is no longer lawful in Kenya
NOVEMBER 18, 2019KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING THREE WHILE IN DRUNKEN STUPOR
The High Court in Mombasa on 14 November 2019 sentenced to death a police officer who shot and killed three people while he was drunk 16 years ago.
OCTOBER 30, 2019KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: EX-DEATH ROW PRISONER CAMPAIGNS AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
A former death row prisoner has spoken out against capital punishment on the 17th World Day against the death penalty, saying it deprives convicts of contrition.