Innocent Kenyans have been victims of the recent police brutality in the verge of curbing the covid-19 pandemic. The police who are expected to be saving lives are unfortunately the one taking it. Kenyans have got enough of that and it is time to implement change in the whole department. It appears that the police change of name from the ‘police force’ to ‘police service’ is just an irony that we are yet to understand the mystery behind it.
What Kenyans are asking is whether it is worthy it. According to the Human Right Watch, 6 people were killed by police within the first 10 days of dusk to dawn curfew enforcement. These numbers have grown high as the government and the IPOA cover themselves with promises that never come to pass.
The very same savagery by police is yet to come to an end as we still experience the brutality on curfew measures more than one year later. Early this month, they have already been at least 3 killings by the police. The most recent is the Kayole incident where a civilian was shot and left for death only to be found by residents at the Tushariane stage.
Kenyans have called for justice that appears hard to be served. The other recent killing is the sad Kianjokoma incident, where two young brothers were allegedly beaten and succumbed. The case got the attention of the DPP and the police department, where six suspects were aligned at the Milimani law court pending further investigation.
Cases of police brutality have not changed even after promises from IPOA whose mandate is to promote public trust and confidence in National Police Service. Every department is pointing a finger on the other, which is a major problem in administering justice.
In recent years of police officers involved in such crime are not charged while a large number of cases remain and others are left to walk scot free. It can be assumed that police are capable of getting away with murder thus the increased number in crimes by the same police who have the mandate to enhance and promote law and order.
The police and the government at large has failed it citizen and brutality has to come to an end. Enough is enough! Killing of citizens for covid-19 measures violation is not justifiable. It is very sad that the police are killing people thus making them no difference from the pandemic itself.
What is worrying Kenyans is if police are killing to curb the pandemic, how better are they?
“It is no doubt unfortunate when a suspect who in sight escape, but the fact that the police arrived a little late or a little slower afoot not always justify killing the suspect.” –Byron White-.
