This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
On June 8, 2020, a march was held in Nairobi's informal settlements to protest the killing of 15 people by police officers enforcing a nationwide curfew during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), 15 deaths and 31 incidents where victims sustained injuries have been directly linked to actions of police officers during the curfew enforcement.
Organisations fighting for social justice joined forces for the march, visiting some of the scenes in the informal settlements where victims were shot by police. Relatives of the deceased, including mothers and siblings, chanted slogans of 'Stop Police Brutality' and waved placards urging police to stop the killings.
Among the victims was a 13-year-old boy named Yasin Moyo, who was shot dead by police implementing the curfew in Huruma. A homeless man identified as Baite was also shot dead in Huruma two weeks ago, at the height of the dusk to dawn curfew.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi criticised police excesses, but 'took exception to painting the entire service with the same brush', his office said in a statement.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the police of imposing the coronavirus curfew in a 'chaotic and violent manner from the start', sometimes whipping, kicking and teargassing people to force them off the streets.
Protesters called for justice and accountability, with some citing personal experiences of police brutality. Benedict Buluma, a coordinator of Mothers of Victims and Survivors Network, said 'we want justice' and shared her own experience of losing a son to police brutality in 2018.
