Operation Linda Jamii, a lobby group, has filed a petition at the Kisumu High Courts suing Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome over the brutality meted on protestors during the anti-government demonstrations staged by the Azimio Coalition.
In its petition, the lobby group wants the two held accountable for the brutality and have them compelled to produce documentation detailing all investigations and inquiries relating to the brutality.
The Prof. Ogola led lobby also wants the government to publish all statistics on victims who lost their lives during the demonstrations.
"We want the court to make a ruling that will send a message to the perpetrators of these police brutalities that never again, will they silence the voice, the freedoms and rights," the group said in the statement.
Besides this, the body also wants the court to order the government to compensate all protestors injured in the demonstrations and the families who lost their loved ones in the chaos.
"As the politicians sort themselves out in Bomas, those who paid the ultimate price should also receive restorative justice," the group stated.
"While the National Dialogue Team continues to churn out its joint agenda, we also hope that that the plight of victims is resolved. Let's put an end to these historical injustices," the group added.
The lobby group in particular faults the IG Koome for failing to adequately prepare the police to deal with protestors in a humane way.
At the height of the protests it was reported that police officers shot indiscriminately shot at Kenyans including those who were not protestors at their homes. The lobby group also wants the police boss to be held accountable for that.
"In fact, what pains us the most is that to date, it is not clear whether the said officers and their immediate supervisors reported the said usage of the firearms to the interested party as mandatorily required by law," read the statement.
The group also questioned why the government did not provide emergency services during the demonstrations.
In July Amnesty International released statistics of number of deaths recorded during the anti government protests since March. Amnesty noted at least 30 cases of police killings of protesters. They include March 20th and 27th protests (12 killings), Saba Saba protest (12 killings) and July 19th (6 killings). The deaths had been attributed to suffocation from tear gas and lethal shootings.
According to Amnesty, preliminary investigations revealed that the police have used beatings, arbitrary arrests and detention of protestors, indiscriminate and disproportionate use of tear gas and water cannons, and other serious rights violations to police the protests.
