According to the Economic Survey 2025, Wajir County had the lowest number of crimes reported to police in the country, with only 358 cases documented by the Command Station. This made Wajir stand out as one of the most peaceful regions in Kenya.
Right behind Wajir was Mandera County with 373 reported cases, followed by Lamu with 401. Other counties that recorded low crime rates included Samburu at 414, Tana River at 436, Garissa with 646, Taita Taveta at 760, Elgeyo Marakwet with 802, Isiolo recording 825, and West Pokot at 849.
These numbers show that some parts of the country are experiencing relatively low levels of criminal activity, which is a positive sign for local governance and development.
The report pointed out that tracking governance, peace, and security is very important in understanding how well economic programs are working and how people are generally living in different regions. This is because peace and security create a good environment for investment, education, and overall social progress. When crimes are low, communities feel safer, and economic activities are able to grow without fear or disruption.
Nationally, the number of crimes reported to police across Kenya dropped by 3.6% to a total of 101,220 cases in 2024. This is seen as an improvement and may reflect better security measures or changes in how crimes are reported and handled. The police also seized 179 illegally stored guns in 2024, an important rise from 104 guns recovered in 2023. This could mean increased efforts to disarm criminals and improve safety.
Around 26,900 kilogrammes of dangerous drugs were taken off the streets in 2024. This shows that authorities are paying attention to drug-related crimes, which are known to contribute to violence and other social problems. The report also highlighted that most types of crimes decreased, except for criminal damage, offenses involving police officers, and other penal code offenses. These three categories rose slightly by 0.8%, 36.7%, and 16% respectively. While most crime areas improved, these increases show there are still challenges that need to be addressed.
Traffic offenses and crimes involving visitors went down sharply, by 58.4% and 42.6% respectively. This may be due to better enforcement of road safety laws or fewer tourists due to various factors.
The report stated that offenses such as physical attacks and theft made up 42% of all the crimes reported in 2024, making them the most common types of criminal activity.There was also a decrease in murder cases registered and successful convictions. Murder cases went down by 15.3%, while convictions dropped by 32.7% in 2024. This could reflect either fewer killings or possible delays and weaknesses in the justice system.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission received more reports in 2023/24 than in the previous year, rising from 1,968 to 2,207 cases. Out of these, only 126 were forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which might raise questions about how corruption cases are being handled.
In terms of the justice system, the number of court cases filed went up by 21.6%, from 424,324 in 2022/23 to 516,121 in 2023/24. Despite this increase, the number of pending cases reduced slightly by 2.2%, ending at 635,262 cases in 2024. This suggests that while more people are turning to the courts, efforts are being made to clear the backlog and deliver justice more efficiently.
