The Independent Policing Oversight Authority(IPOA) on Thursday confirmed that investigations are ongoing in the Majengo murder incidents involving police officers from Shauri Moyo Police Station in Nairobi which happened on March 4 and March 5.
In a statement released on March 6, IPOA Chairperson Ahmed Issack Hassan noted that the authority has recorded statements and one postmortem examination is being carried out, another one is yet to be done.
According to IPOA, the first incident which occurred on March 4, at 8 pm near Majengo Social Hall. The officers were attempting to arrest a young suspect and the escalation attracted other youths in the area.
Hassan said that the escalation resulted in the shooting and serious injury of a young man, believed to be between 17 and 20 years old.
He further ordered the team to gather all relevant information to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting and assess how the police handled the demonstrators.
“In accordance with Section 6(a) of the IPOA Act, which mandates the Authority to investigate complaints related to disciplinary or criminal offences committed by members of the Service, the Authority’s rapid response and forensic investigations team accompanied by officers specialized in monitoring police conduct during public order management operations responded to the incident,” Hassan stated.
IPOA further asked the public to refrain from any acts of lawlessness and not to take the law into their own hands.
Hassan noted that according to National Police Service Act and Service standing orders, there are conditions under which police can use force for instance, the force used should be proportional to the objective to be achieved, the seriousness of the offence, and the resistance of the person against whom it is used.
According to the act, the police officer should always attempt to use non-violent means first.
The statement also stated that a police officer who used any form of force should immediately, report to his or her superior.
“ It shall be a disciplinary offence for a police officer to fail to report in accordance with these regulations. A Police officer in uniform shall at all times affix a nametag or identifiable Service number in a clearly visible part of the uniform and following the orders of a superior is no excuse for unlawful use of force,” part of the statement reads.
The police should report immediately any serious injury incase of any use of force that leads to death, to the Independent Police Oversight Authority.
