Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, on Tuesday, November 16, took action after an uproar over increased forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
In a meeting that brought together key players in the security sector, CS Matiang'i noted that his ministry was concerned with the surge.
He further revealed that the players, some of whom had taken part in an earlier demonstration over the trend, resolved to hold a joint forum on the alleged forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
"We are committed to upholding the rule of law in prosecuting suspected criminals, not exempting those on terror watch.
"My colleagues in the security sector and I are looking forward to a joint forum on claims of forced disappearances and extra judicial killings," stated the CS.
“We will sit down and agree on where the truth lies. We want people to put out information on what they know because this constant blame on the police and other state agents should come to an end. It will be an open, absolutely candid process,” Matiang'i added.
Matiang'i added that the government was aware of a few cases of contract killings involving police officers who were privately hired as hit men to settle personal feuds and said such officers had been dealt with.
“The acts of a few officers should not be allowed to tarnish the reputation of an entire force. We will keep on ridding the Service of rogue elements to set example and to remind everyone that this is a civilian government that does not believe in killing its own citizens,” he said.
The meeting had representatives from the National Police Service (NPS), Amnesty International, Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims and the National Muslims Leaders Forum.
Others who attended are the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), National Cohesion and Integration Commission and Jamia Mosque Committee.
The meeting comes barely a week after Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir led a protest decrying the disappearances, especially in the Coastal region.
Latest available data indicate that 34 people, mostly suspected terrorists and their sympathisers, have gone missing in a span of just six months.
Most demonstrators claimed that the disappearances were linked to security agencies with the latest case being that of terror suspect Elgiva Bwire and his lawyer Prof Hassan Nandwa.
During the demos, Nassir threatened to petition for the removal the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai arguing that extrajudicial killings had become rampant.
“Today it will be me, tomorrow will be you. We need to join hands to stop this madness before it escalates,” he stated on November 9.
Lawyer Nandwa was found dumped in Mwingi but the whereabouts of his client remain unknown.
