Bishops drawn from the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Nyanza branch have demanded the immediate disbandment of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) unit.
Speaking at the ACK St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Kisumu, the bishops, led by their Chairman, Dr David Kodia, alleged that leaders at the DCI are misusing the office and not living up to their mandate.
''The time has come for a body like the DCI should be faced out. It has become a dreaded unit used by those in power to harass Kenyans,'' Kodia said while reading a joint statement by the bishops.
The bishops are accusing the unit of being behind a spate of disappearances, harassment, and killings of Kenyans.
Apart from the DCI, the bishops have also trained their guns on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), accusing it of failing Kenyans in its oversight role, particularly in cases where lives have been lost.
“IPOA has failed Kenyans and it is seen as a toothless dog that can't bite but can talk louder enough to confuse Kenyans that it is working,” the bishops continued.
The bishops have also called on the police to end the heightened cases of brutality and “read the room” before Kenyans retaliate in self-defence.
“For the police, please come to terms with the fact that Kenyans are cursing you every day because of your heartless manner in which you deal with Kenyans,” the Maseno West Bishop said.
The leaders have challenged President William Ruto to use his authority as Head of State to streamline the country’s security forces, alleging that the latest cases of police brutality are alarming.
“Acknowledging the fact that the president is the symbol of unity, we are disappointed that President William Ruto has virtually failed to stand with the ordinary Kenyans who are the target of police brutality,” the leaders said.
According to the bishops, Kenyans have a right to express their opinions, and it is not right for the police to be used to suppress this right. They have advised police officers who receive orders from their bosses to suppress Kenyans to refuse such inhumane orders.
The concerns by the bishops come at a time when Kenya is witnessing a rise in cases of police brutality, with the latest incidents involving social media influencer and teacher Albert Ojwang, the shooting of a mask vendor, Boniface Kariuki, and the recent deaths of Kenyans in police custody.
IPOA has assured the public that investigations into all these cases are underway.
