The protests that spanned more than a month saw a record number of demonstrators brutalised and others allegedly killed by the police.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), on Thursday, September 5 announced that it had completed investigations into some cases regarding police brutality during the recent anti-government demonstrations led by Gen Z.
The protests that spanned more than a month saw a record number of demonstrators brutalised and others allegedly killed by the police.
Speaking during a workshop at Nanyuki, Laikipia County, IPOA CEO Elema Halake revealed that the files of the concluded investigations have been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for review.
IPOA CEO Elema Halake during a past forum. /FILE
The DPP is thereafter expected to peruse through the files and make recommendations on whether adversely mentioned officers should be prosecuted based on the evidence presented before it.
Despite confirming that the authority had recorded 56 deaths, the IPOA chief decried being under immense pressure from the public to expedite the probes.
IPOA also lamented the lack of resources to enable them to speed up the investigations, signalling budget inadequacy to assist them in carrying out their mandate comprehensively.
“We are committed to have the cases expedited. We are under a lot of pressure from the public and rightly so. The scope of the investigations is challenging because the incidents happened across the whole country and the resources are not adequate,” Halake remarked.
Halake also cited hesitation by witnesses in terms of coming forward, noting that IPOA had not received the full support from the victims and their families to enable them to speed up the process.
“Also, we are not getting the full cooperation we need and many witnesses have not come forth to enable us to move with speed. Criminal investigations require forensic support and the evidential threshold is very high,” he stated.
IPOA also revealed that they were conducting a risk analysis to have Cathrine Wanjeri, the Nakuru journalist allegedly shot by a police officer, be given security protection.
This came on the back of claims by Wanjeri of her life being in danger, alleging that she received calls from people suspected to have been involved in the shooting incident during the protests in Nakuru City, which is currently being investigated, intending to scare her into withdrawing the case.
‘’It is true that there might be someone targeting me. How can I get the courage to come out of my house as a woman when someone you don’t know calls you and even worse, they know your family?’’ she lamented.
In response, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo condemned intimidation from the suspects of the heinous act that saw Wanjeri shot in her thigh three times, with preliminary reports revealing that one of the bullets was lodged in her thigh.
‘’This should be investigated, the media should not be intimidated, especially a victim of police brutality,’’ Odhiambo demanded on X.
The IPOA CEO noted that the process aimed to make recommendations for Wanjeri’s sake. Previously, IPOA reported facing a lack of cooperation from senior police officers, which hindered the progress of their investigations.
Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki, a reporter with Kameme TV, was shot by police in Nakuru while covering youth-led protests on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. /PHOTO
