This archive report was first published on 7 June 2020.
On June 7, 2020, the Kenyan police were under intense scrutiny for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent curfew imposed by the government. The police had been accused of using excessive force, leading to the deaths of several civilians, including minors and a pregnant woman.
According to a report by the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), more than 15 people had died at the hands of the police since the curfew began. The report highlighted the need for the police to be held accountable for their actions and for the government to take immediate action to address the issue of police brutality.
Ms. Kaltum Guyo, a legal researcher, wrote an article on the matter, stating that the police had a difficult task of keeping law and order, but that their challenges in dealing with violent crime had led to numerous miscarriages of justice. She argued that the police had a culture of impunity that needed to be addressed and that the government had a responsibility to ensure that the police service was accountable to the public.
Ms. Guyo cited several examples of police brutality, including the case of Samwel Maina, who was beaten senseless by police officers, and the case of a young man who was tortured by police officers in Nairobi's Mathare slums. She also mentioned the case of a 13-year-old boy named Yassin Moyo, who was killed by police officers during the curfew.
Ms. Guyo argued that the government's silence on the issue of police brutality was a sign that they lived in a 'rosy universe' parallel to that of the rest of the population. She called on the government to take immediate action to address the issue and to support the idea of command responsibility being instituted to avoid buck-passing.
Ms. Guyo concluded that the biggest challenge in the Kenyan criminal justice system was the abuse of power by the police, who acted as the police, prosecutor, and judge, carrying out extrajudicial killings, demanding bribes, and locking up people without going through proper legal channels.
