Three weeks after Yasin Moyo, 13, was shot dead by a police officer during curfew enforcement at Kiamaiko area of Nairobi on March 30, 2020, his family is yet to get justice.
Following the incident, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji, the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), including several other human rights organisations assured swift justice for the deceased's family.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, IPOA Head of Communications and Outreach, Dennis Oketch, informed that the agency was making significant progress since taking up the case.
"IPOA has talked to witnesses, we have talked to police officers, we attended the post mortem and the investigation is ongoing," Oketch stated.
"We do not prosecute our cases. When we finish with investigations, we recommend for remedial action; it could be criminal charges against the officer or it could be disciplinary measures undertaken by the internal mechanisms of the police.
"For criminal attention, we send them to the DPP, he will review the file and after the DPP is satisfied with the file he will endorse them and take them up in court," he added.
Oketch, however, admitted that the case may take longer, stating that some cases are more complex than others. He further informed that the investigations were going on well and a definitive conclusion will be reached.
"I cannot authoritatively tell you that we are finishing in a week or two. So I cannot give you an exact date," Oketch stated.
"We are committed to doing a thorough job that can realise the attention that is deserved; whether a criminal charge for murder, manslaughter, or whichever, we undertake our investigations to the best of our ability," he added.
Kenyans.co.ke has since learnt that such cases may take up to six months to conclude.
Sakaja who in the company of Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch, a representative from the office of IG Mutyambai and officers from Huruma Police Station had visited the family on April 1, 2020, promised justice even at the cost of his personal resources.
"I want to tell you as a brother, as the Senator of Nairobi, and as the Chair of a Senate committee on Coronavirus, Yassin will get justice.
"I promise you, even if it means using my own resources, hiring our own lawyers, we must get justice for Yassin so that tomorrow another officer doesn't assume they can do things anyhow thinking they will go scot-free. We are not living in a banana republic," Sakaja had stated.
"The human rights of citizens have not been suspended in this country. I'm giving you a promise as your senator. There's no way we can bring him back, we can't. But what we can do for the tears of his mother and father to be wiped away, is to get justice," he had assured.
A member of the senator's communication team who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke on Tuesday, April 21, informed that his office was determined to follow the legal due process and putting pressure on the relevant authorities in ensuring the family of Yasin Moyo gets justice.
