The Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, has come under sharp criticism following allegations of harassment of Otsieno Namwaya, Associate Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, by police officers.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), in a statement on Saturday morning, accused the police of allegedly harassing and intimidating Namwaya at his home last week.
As per the lobby group, reports indicate that between August 23 and 25, this year, a contingent of police officers allegedly raided Namwaya's home and conducted surveillance.
They disclosed that the raid followed weeks of attempts by individuals believed to be from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to clandestinely get access to the activist.
Reports further indicated that the officers who are attached to DCI's Operation Support Unit began tracing Namwaya several months ago through his close associates.
While condemning the incident, the Commission called on the Inspector General of Police to immediately order a cease to all forms of surveillance, intimidation, and harassment of Namwaya.
"KHRC condemns in the strongest terms the surveillance and harassment of Otsieno Namwaya, Associate Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, by officers of the Kenya Police Service," the lobby group stated.
"This brazen act of intimidation against a human rights defender is an assault on Kenya’s Constitution and a deliberate attempt to silence critical voices exposing state abuses," it added.
In its statement, the human rights watchdog urged President William Ruto's administration to ensure the safety of all human rights defenders, including Namwaya.
According to the activists, the Head of State should know that persecuting those who defend rights only deepens Kenya’s crisis of impunity and will not deter their collective struggle for justice and accountability.
Meanwhile, Namwaya has been the Director at Human Rights Watch for over 13 years, during which he has documented incidents of police excesses and other abuses by the Kenyan police.
