Speaker of
the National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula, has asked Kenyans not to condemn the
entire police service.
Public confidence in the National Police Service has
continued to decline amid mounting cases of brutality.
There has been nationwide outrage over police conduct during
recent protests, where they have been accused of using tear gas and force to
disperse peaceful demonstrators.
Among the most disturbing incidents is the shooting of
22-year-old face mask vendor Boniface Kariuki — also known as Eli Joshua —
during the June 17 protests.
Kariuki was reportedly shot at close range by police
officers while selling surgical face masks. Two officers, Klinzy Masinde Barasa
and Duncan Kiprono, have since been interdicted and are being held at the
Capitol Hill Police Station as investigations continue.
In a
statement on Friday, the Speaker said Kenyans should not condemn the whole
police service because of the actions of one officer.
He said perpetrators who commit injustices in the country
must be held into account.
“We must not use the
actions of one police officer to condemn the entire force,” he said.
“I urged Kenyans not to
be drawn into conflicts that are not their own, reminding them that we all
share a duty to protect and grow our nation. I emphasised that in cases where
injustices have been committed, the responsible individuals must be held
accountable through due process.”
Wetang’ula called out leaders perpetuating political
divisions.
He noted that, while
differing opinions are healthy in a democracy, the primary focus must remain on
serving the people.
He spoke on Friday when
he attended a Women Empowerment Initiative in Borabu Constituency, Nyamira
County.
The Speaker was
accompanied by Nyamira MP Jerusha Momanyi.
Human rights groups are now calling for the UN’s intervention to
restore accountability and weed out rogue officers.
Defenders Coalition and the Social Justice Centers Working
Group told the Star that while the Independent Policing Oversight Authority is
legally mandated to hold police accountable, the agency is severely
overstretched.
Kamau Ngugi,
executive director of the Defenders Coalition, said international intervention is
the only way to guarantee impartiality, given the high-level political
interests involved.
“A huge swath
of the Kenyan public does not believe that justice will be served in cases like
Albert Ojwang’s, given that the top command of the police stands accused. It is
clear that the police command will do all it can to hide any incriminating
evidence against their own,” he said.