Missing Voices, a lobby group, on Friday, March 24, released a report accusing rogue police officers of extra-judicial killings.
The 15 civil society organisations claimed that members of the National Police Service either killed or were behind the forceful disappearance of 152 people.
Missing Voices, in the report, read by International Justice Mission (IJM) Country Director, Benson Shamala, underlined that Pangani Police Station in Nairobi was once again ranked the most notorious in cases of police killings.
According to the fifteen civil society groups, eleven cases were attributed to the Pangani station. However, the number significantly dropped from 32 cases reported at the station in 2021.
"Police killings dropped by 30.1 percent and disappearances by 38 percent. This is a positive trend, and we look forward to a Kenya without police violence. January 2022 saw the highest police killings, with 28 cases from 11 incidents," read part of the report.
While calling for justice for the victims' families, Missing Voices noted that their investigators had documented and verified data on police killings and enforced disappearances since August 2018.
"In 2022, Missing Voices documented 152 police killings and enforced disappearances. 130 cases were police killings, and 22 were cases of enforced disappearances bringing the total number to 152.
"The year 2022 saw a 31.5 percent drop in police killings and enforced disappearances compared to 2021, where Missing Voices documented 219 cases," read part of the Missing Voices report.
The consortium further alleged that police killed over 600 people in the last four years, 145, in 2020 and 168 cases documented in 2019.
"We are encouraged that in 2022 we saw tremendous strides made in holding police accountable for murder with the conviction of three police officers and a police informer for the murder of human rights lawyer Willie Kimani, client Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri in 2016," Missing Voices stated.
The civil society organisations also observed that the National Police Service transferred 19 police officers from Pangani Police Station on November 25, 2021, following sustained campaigns for accountability.
At the same time, some five police officers were transferred from Kayole Police Station while Kahawa West and Nakuru West Sub County police had four cases of police transfers after the organisations called for inquiries.
"As we mark the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, we remember many victims of police killings and enforced disappearances.
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"This year we are calling for Accountability Now for perpetrators of violence and justice for victims like William Mayange, the Maseno University student, who was killed on Monday during the protest," Missing Voices demanded.
The civil society groups also asked the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution to ensure that the family of Baby Pendo, killed in 2017 during election-related violence, gets justice.
Society groups lamented that the cases of the Kianjokoma brothers and Yassin Moyo, Leeds university student Carlton Maina were some of the prominent murder cases stalling in court.
"We demand that MPs enact a law on enforced disappearances or amend existing legislation to criminalize enforced disappearances. The law should include recourse and reparations for victims and their families," Missing Voices stated.
Also in attendance at the event was Irungu Houghton, Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director, who lauded the report, reiterating that the lobby group would push for more action from the authorities.
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