Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has narrated an incident where he came to the aid of an aggrieved mother whose child was allegedly brutalized by police officers based in Lamu county.
In a TV interview on Sunday, April 17, the CS defended his docket from a barrage of claims of disregarding the law.
He noted that his call as someone who holds public office is to serve Kenyans as witnessed in an incident in 2019 whereby a mother's plight touched him after she approached him and detailed a harrowing incident of police brutality meted on her child.
Acting swiftly on the matter, Matiang'i noted that he called Inspector General Hilary Mutyambai and ordered him to probe the matter and ensure action is taken against the officers.
"I was in Lamu when a woman cried to me and narrated to me a very painful experience of how her child was mistreated at the hands of police officers. I took action right there and I called the Inspector General and informed him that the named police officers to be looked for and subjected to room proceedings," he entailed.
The CS also addressed reports that police officers usually use excessive force during their operations, pointing out that Kenya is one of the most secure countries in the region.
He, however, acknowledged that the security forces, much like the society, faced mental health issues that needed to be dealt with. Matiang'i urged Kenyans not to sideline the police service and treat it with vile and contempt.
While reminiscing of his tenure in the Interior ministry, the CS expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve Kenyans, noting that he had diligently carried out his mandate and was proud of his work.
Dr Matiang'i who previously served in the ministries of education and ICT, however, did not reveal his next course of action after the General Election, when the current regime's tenure ends.
According to the Human Rights Watch, cases of police brutality increased during the pandemic period that saw at least six people lose their lives to police violence during the first 10 days of the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed in March 2020.
This led to an outcry from the public as well as human rights groups who urged the government to look into the matter. The issue was also condemned by politicians and leaders alike.
In the latest World Report 2020 on human rights, Kenya's police was accused of failing to investigate assaults on citizens including killings and enforced disappearances.
