This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has moved to press charges against a police officer suspected of murdering 13-year-old Hussein Yassin Moyo. The incident occurred on March 30, 2020, three days after the nationwide 7pm to 5am curfew was imposed.
According to IPOA, the evidence is sufficient to sustain trials in court. The police officer, Duncan Ndiema Ndiwa alias Champes, will be charged with murder.
Officer Ndiwa is among five other officers who will face different charges related to the death or injury of civilians. The other officers include Lotugh Angórita, who will be charged with the murder of a teacher, Colleta Amondi Ouda, who was shot while Angórita was responding to a burglary incident at Usigu market in Siaya County.
The move comes as Kenya continues to grapple with police brutality. Since the coronavirus pandemic, many Kenyans have reported being harassed and losing their loved ones in the hands of the police. According to the Missing Voices website, 95 cases of police killings have been recorded this year alone, with 17 of these cases related to COVID-19 curfew enforcement.
Despite the ongoing injustices, IPOA continues to guarantee legal action against rogue officers. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has also noted that the evidence is sufficient to sustain trials in court.
Published on June 4, 2020, two days after activist Boniface Mwangi went on Twitter to condemn the death of a homeless porter who was shot dead in Mathare for violating the curfew law.
