National Police Service officers were on Tuesday, June 2, put on the spot following a report released by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Noordin Haji.
Speaking during a webinar hosted by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Haji revealed that his office had received 80 cases involving atrocities committed by members of the police force.
"Since October 2019, ODPP has received 80 cases against the police and is working closely with IPOA for judicious expedition.
"The Office of the Director Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is seeking funding to support the protection of witnesses and victims for cases on human rights violations," Haji stated.
He also reiterated that his office treated human rights violation cases with the highest level of urgency in a bid to ensure that the victim's faith in the system was restored.
"We are also receiving cases against police excesses and we are giving consent for prosecution like in the case of Yassin. We are dealing with them as expeditiously as possible," he disclosed.
The Yassin he referenced was the 13-year-old Yassin Hussein Moyo, who was fatally shot while perched on his apartment balcony at Kiamaiko area in Huruma, Nairobi.
Yassin's father, Hussein Moyo, was at a neighbour's place watching the evening news and recounts hearing the jolting sound of gunshots moments before his daughter ran over to tell him, "Yassin's been shot, we were on the balcony, the police had a torch on us and then they fired shots."
More recently, a homeless man at the Bondeni area in Mathare was reportedly gunned down by police officers while enforcing the dusk-to-dawn curfew on June 1.
This sparked anger among residents who took to the streets in defiance of both the curfew rule as well as the social distancing directives, going on to light bonfires on the streets.
“Kenya Police have shot dead a homeless man in Mathare, Bondeni area. He works as a loader in Marikiti but sleeps in the streets, residents call him Vaite. About 300 people have defied the curfew and are protesting the extrajudicial killing,” Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi tweeted.
In an effort to mitigate the countless issues arising since enforcement of the 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, DPP Haji announced that his office would step in to handle such cases.
"We are providing oversight in cases brought as a result of breaking curfew and working with the Judiciary so that those found having violated the rules are dealt with in accordance with the Community Orders Act and prevent any person from being imprisoned," he elaborated.
On IPOA, the DPP said that it was doing a great job but was currently challenged by inadequacy in regards to human resource capacity.
"There is a need to look at their capacity to enable them to deal with the cases with regard to complaints against the police.
"The DPP is ready to accept requests for private investigations and prosecution, where IPOA is unable, and where there is sufficient evidence to undertake private prosecution in cases of complaints against the police," he announced.
Haji added that the DPP had directed investigations on the killings in Kwale and is keen on upholding of human rights.
This was in reference to the sad incident that occurred on Saturday, May 30, when Police in Kwale shot and killed a terror suspect during a night raid, as well as two children who they claim were being used as human shields by the suspect, Mohamed Mapenzi.
