Elite police squads symptom of a failed criminal justice system

Little is known about the structures, budgets, operations and identities of officers involved except the rare glimpse the public gets at scenes of crime after the elite cops make breakthroughs.

Welcome to the murky world of police elite squads now under the microscope following the recent disbandment of one of them accused of extorting, carrying out extra-judicial killings and causing forced disappearances of people suspected to be involved in crime.

Over the years, police chiefs have created these amorphous special units to deal with specific and prevailing crimes, highlighting Kenya's failed criminal justice system.

Normally officers attached to elite squads operate undercover; sometimes disguising themselves as civilians. Only a keen observer can finger out an elite officer since most of them, dress shaggily, have unkempt hair and feign ignorance.

But when they occasionally swing into action, they make headlines. This crop of officers is well-trained to crack complex crimes, infiltrate and dismantle the underworld.

Whenever investigators or general duty officers hit a dead end, officers from elite squads come in handy. On several occasions, they have never disappointed, earning the admiration and respect of many Kenyans for their crime-busting capabilities.

Hunting hardened criminals

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Take the example of Simon Matheri Ikere, a notorious hardcore criminal who had managed to instil fear in Nairobi and its surrounding environs. When the man was shot dead in February 2007, there were wild celebrations by locals from his Gichae village on the outskirts of Nairobi.

A man with a Sh150,000 bounty on his head, Matheri and his gang had for several months given police hard time as he easily preyed on victims, robbing and sometimes killing them before an elite unit stopped him.

Recovered weapons after Flying Squad raid. [Elvis Ogina]

The Special Crime and Prevention Unit (SCPU) tracked and trailed Matheri to his Athi River hideout after his gang was linked to the deaths of AIDS researcher Job Bwayo, American missionary Lois Anderson and her daughter Zelda White.

The involvement of SCPU in Matheri's hunt and ultimate death underscored the importance of elite squads in combating crime and hunting down hardcore criminals.

Elite squads also known as special task forces are not a new phenomenon - they have existed since time immemorial and have never failed to draw controversy due to their dark side.

It was therefore not a surprise when the Special Service Unit (SSU) was disbanded after its officers were accused of violation of human rights.

Extra-judicial killings

None other than President William Ruto who has been Deputy President for the last 10 years, admitted that SSU was used to carry out extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances.

"I am the one who ordered that the Special Service Unit, which was conducting extra-judicial killings, be disbanded. We have a plan on how to secure this country so that we avoid the shame of Kenyans killed by the police and their bodies dumped in Yala River and others. We are going to change this country for the better," President Ruto said while addressing a thanksgiving service in Kericho.

It is instructive to note that over the period he served as Deputy President under the administration of his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta, cases of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances were common - though the government vehemently denied the involvement of police officers.

Although the exact number of victims of extra-judicial killings is not known, human rights activists have been compiling lists of people suspected to have been executed.

Figures compiled by human rights groups show that more than 1,000 people could have been killed since 2013 when Uhuru assumed power.

More than 500 people have been killed between 2019 and 2023, according to Peter Kiama, executive director, Independent Medico Legal Unit (IMLU). From the organisation's records, 73 people were killed in 2019, 133 (2020), 210 (2021) and 97 have lost their live so far this year.

Welcoming the President's admission on police culpability, Kiama says the next step should be forming a commission of inquiry to establish who ordered the killings.

"We are demanding for justice and hope the President will walk the talk by making sure the truth is unravelled and action taken against the offices involved," says Kiama.

Kiama wants a commitment by government to compensate families of those killed and missing persons, and a national apology issued by President Ruto.

The SSU was formed in 2019 by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss George Kinoti to deal with armed robberies, kidnappings, motor vehicle theft, sale and distribution of contraband and substandard goods.

Elite squads

But even as officers initially attached to the disbanded SSU ponder over their fate after being sent on compulsory leave, there have been past elite squads that have faced similar accusations.

These squads include Flying Squad, Kanga, Rhino, Kwekwe and Eagle.

Originally, known as Anti Motor Vehicle Theft Unit, the Flying Squad was established in 1992 by then Criminal Investigations Department (CID) director Noah arap Too with a brief to tame runaway theft of cars and bank robberies.

Around that period, carjacking at gunpoint was common with stolen vehicles either driven across the borders or cannibalized for spare parts.

The unit was credited for scattering motor vehicle thieves at lightning speed. Officers had a reputation for being fast and first at the scene.

Tales abound of their spider web networks and tentacles that infiltrated the underworld where robbers had no breathing space.

Although they were occasionally accused of being trigger-happy, and for using the badge as a shield when committing crimes, other than human rights activists who raised the alarm, Kenyans generally appreciated their crime-busting capabilities, saying courts were notorious for setting thugs free.