Kenya Votes to Suspend Death Penalty Worldwide Despite Retaining It in Local Law

Kenya has backed a United Nations resolution calling for a temporary global halt to the death penalty, even as the punishment remains part of the country's Constitution and Penal Code.

The vote places Nairobi alongside 132 other nations urging countries that still carry out executions to suspend them while considering full abolition. Locally, however, the Constitution permits the death penalty where authorized by written law, despite guaranteeing the right to life.

Under Kenya's Penal Code, courts can impose death sentences for serious offenses, including murder, treason, robbery with violence, and attempted robbery with violence.

The UN General Assembly's Third Committee passed the resolution on Friday, November 13, with 133 countries voting in favor, 33 voting against, and 16 abstaining. Switzerland and Mexico sponsored the motion.

Switzerland's Foreign Affairs Department welcomed the outcome, saying the decision came at a time when executions are rising globally.

"At a time of rising executions, this sends a powerful message of hope and strengthens protections for those on death row, including women and older people, while reinforcing the importance of fair trials," the department said.

The UN continues to urge governments to stop executions, arguing that the punishment carries irreversible consequences, especially when innocent people are convicted.

Several major countries joined Kenya in supporting the resolution, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Italy, Spain, South Africa, and Switzerland.

However, 33 countries opposed the move. They include the United States, China, India, Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Singapore, Kuwait, Yemen, and Bahrain. Barbados, Botswana, Burkina Faso, South Korea, Jamaica, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, and Sudan also voted against the resolution.

The vote comes amid a sharp rise in global executions. According to Amnesty International, at least 2,707 people were executed across 17 countries in 2025, excluding thousands of executions believed to have taken place in China.

The human rights organization also reported that Iran led the world in executions in 2026 with at least 2,159, followed by Saudi Arabia with at least 356, and the United States with 47. Countries such as China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Singapore, and Japan were among those that carried out executions in 2025.