Police spokesperson, Bruno Shioso, has broken the silence over the allegations of the existence of a hit squad within the service that is responsible for enforced disappearances in the country.
Shioso, during an interview on Citizen TV on Monday, October 18, defended the National Police Service stating that its roles were clearly stipulated in the Constitution.
He argued that several reforms have been undertaken in the sector to ensure the police serve the citizen and change the stereotypical perspective and image the public upholds.
“The police changed from a force to a service. That means a lot. As a service, our focus is to work with the community, the citizen and the public and to be as responsible as we can and we are operating within the framework of the law."
“I have never seen nor heard of any hit squad within the police service,” Shioso rebutted.
The police spokesperson admitted that cases of enforced disappearances existed and were viewed as normal crimes by the service.
The police, he added, are tasked with conducting investigations, charging suspects and presenting evidence before the law courts.
“That’s the whole role we play. In some of the disappearance cases, people blame the police without evidence, but when the people appear and say it was not the police, such stories,” he argued.
Nonetheless, he asked victims of police brutality to report such cases to the Independent Policy and Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the police Internal Affairs Unit (IAU)
According to data by Missing Voices - a human rights Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that highlights extrajudicial killings in Kenya, there were 9 cases of police killings and 1 enforced disappearance as a result of 8 separate incidents in February 2021.
In July 2021, there were 20 cases of police killings and 3 cases of enforced disappearances in 15 separate incidents.
Shioso also addresses other issues including increased suicide cases among police officers.
The Inspector General’s office, he reiterated, set up a directorate on chaplaincy and guidance and counselling to address the mental health of officers. The department collects data and offers solutions to emerging issues.
