On August 20th, 2021, the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) announced the launch of an investigation into the death of John Kiiru, a 38-year-old man who was allegedly ambushed and beaten to death by police in Nairobi's Kayole Estate.
According to IPOA Chairperson Anne Makori, the investigation will seek to establish whether the death falls within the authority's mandate of holding police accountable for their actions.
Specifically, the investigation will aim to determine whether Kiiru succumbed to injuries allegedly caused by police during curfew hours, as reported on August 19th, 2021.
As per Section 25 of the IPOA Act, deaths resulting from police action or caused by members of the National Police Service while on duty must be investigated.
Should the officers involved be found culpable, IPOA will take appropriate action, including making recommendations to relevant State agencies and informing the public of its findings.
The incident comes just three weeks after police enforcing the curfew allegedly killed two brothers in Embu, Benson Njiru, 22, and Emmanuel Mutura, 19, on August 1st, 2021.
