Civil society urges IG Kanja to punish rogue police officers

Chief Justice Martha Koome (right) and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja after he was sworn in at Supreme Court buildings in Nairobi on September 19, 2024..[Collins Kweyu, Standard] 

Civil society organisations have challenged the new Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to end police impunity.

They claimed that at least 60 civil society leaders and human rights defenders have lost their lives in the past two years.

Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) Chief executive officer Wangeci Kahuria called for the immediate arrest of six police officers who allegedly brutalised Multimedia University student Trever Mureithi.

Ms Kahuria urged the new IG and the Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) to ensure prosecution of the six police officers who attacked the unarmed student, to end impunity and defend democracy, the rule of law and the Constitution.

“We condemn police actions against Trever Mathenge Mureithi, a first-year student at Multimedia University who was severely injured and had a teargas canister lobbed at him at close range,” she said.

“The use of such lethal crowd control weapons by the National Police Service (NPS) has been normalised despite a court order banning their use,” she added.

In a joint statement, the 11 civil society organisations meeting in Mombasa yesterday demanded immediate action against police officers involved in criminal acts even as they warned that democracy was under attack by the state actors.

The civil society groups are Article 19, Partnerships 4 Empowerment and Networking in Kenya (Pen Kenya), Inuka Ni Sisi!, Kenya Human Rights Commission and Haki Yetu Organisation.

Others are Muslims for Human Rights, Initiative for Inclusive Empowerment, Inform Action, Transparency International, Constitution and Reform Education Consortium, Defenders Coalition, and IMLU.

The civil society organisation leaders were speaking during the fourth Civic Space Protection Summit at the Pride Inn Paradise Beach resort in Mombasa.

“We demand the suspension and interdiction of the police officers in these criminal acts and continued harassment and abductions,” they said.

They said in the last 24 months, the state has demonstrated that it has no regard for the Constitution, independent oversight bodies, and civil society.

The civil society organisations said the Assemblies and Demonstrations Bill, 2024, which is on the floor of the National Assembly was one of the indications that the state has no intention of implementing the Constitution.

“We are reaffirming our stance that these violations must end. We will continue to hold security agencies accountable for their actions and demand justice for those whose rights have been violated,” they maintained.

On the standoff between outgoing acting IG Gilbert Masengeli and the Judiciary, Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri) director Khelef Khalifa said the Constitution provides for citizens’ arrests and called for its application in such a case.

“It is clear the Constitution provides for citizens’ arrest in case the officer cannot present himself to the commissioner general of prisons or the Interior Cabinet Secretary fails to hand him over,” he said.

The groups said the abducted Kitengela three should be produced and Masengeli to serve his six-month jail term for refusing to honour court summons.

"Should the CS fail to initiate the steps (to produce Masengeli), we urge the public to initiate citizens' arrest against Masengeli," they said.

Kamau Ngugi from the Defenders Coalition said the civil society movement will not rest until justice is served for the Kitengela three who disappeared after being abducted by suspected police officers.

“The abductors identified themselves as police officers and hence we want them produced by the police. We are not going to be relevant on this matter,” he said.
Boby Njagi, Aslam Longton, and Jamil Longton were abducted on August 19.

The civil society leaders claimed that the state has abdicated its duty to engage the public in the development process especially projects that have negative consequences on taxpayers such as the Adani deal to upgrade the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

"The last two years have shown us that authoritarian leadership, coupled with corruption, is not just a fiscal issue but a human rights one," they said.