Opposition leader Raila Odinga has reiterated that Azimio will still take legal action against the police over the brutality meted on Kenyans in various parts of the country at the height of anti-government protests.
Speaking during the burial of one of the victims in Siaya County on Saturday, Raila revealed that Azimio has gathered sufficient evidence against several police officers and will proceed to institute judicial action despite entering into ceasefire talks with President William Ruto.
The evidence reportedly includes photographs showing police officers beating civilians, as well as their official work numbers issued by the government.
Amnesty International has documented that 11 people were killed in Luo Nyanza during the protests, with the majority of the victims succumbing to bullet wounds and blunt force trauma to the head.
"They (the government) think they can scare us with the police. All officers who engaged in the acts of violence will have action taken against them," he stated.
Odinga further expressed his concern about the alarming rate of police brutality in the lake region, claiming that the residents were seemingly targeted for being his supporters.
Rarieda MP, Otiende Amollo, firmly reiterated Raila's stance, affirming that no officer found guilty of perpetrating acts of violence would be spared. He emphasised Azimio's unwavering commitment to seeking justice for the families affected by such incidents.
"There is a young man from my village who was shot by police and the bullets are lodged in his lungs to date. The doctors could not operate on him because he would have died in the process," the lawmaker revealed.
It is still uncertain whether the case will be filed in a Kenyan Court or at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Interestingly, ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, was in the country during the week.
Azimio had previously stated their intention to file their case at The Hague.
During an interview with TV47 on Friday, August 4, Khan declined to comment on whether they had received a formal complaint from the opposition regarding police brutality.
"Let me recuse myself there," he responded to the queries.
Meanwhile, Ruto has blamed the opposition for inciting their supporters to attack the police. The president has talked tough on the protests saying he will quash any attempts to destabilise the country.
"I want to assure them that I will stand firm when it comes to protests that are used to destroy property," the Head of State assured.
