By Leah Aoko
The recent protests the finance bill in Kenya, dubbed #rejectfinancebill have been a stark reminder of the continued use of force and lack of accountability in the police service. Amidst the clamor for the law makers to reject the impugned bill, protesters were manhandled, roughened up, harassed, beaten and unfortunately even killed.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), about 40 people have lost their lives while scores remain injured because of police brutality. More specifically, 25th June 2024 will forever be etched in the minds of many Kenyans who watched on live TV as protesters matching to #occupyparliament were horrendously sprayed with bullets leaving bodies strewn along parliament road. This resulted into national and international outcry on the unrelenting brutality of the officers then stationed at parliament. Still on the finance bill protests, the police have been implicated on subsequent forced abductions and torture of people they thought were leading the campaign. Unfortunately, it is not known how many people so far have been abducted and releases/not released. Days of protests have become another way to showcase the much-needed police reforms in the country.
Police brutality during conflict goes way back to the 80s and the 90s during the Nyayo era where the police force was used as a weapon against opposing citizens who fought for multipartyism. Back then, anyone who fought the state was deemed unpatriotic and would often go ‘missing’ before resurfacing and in worse case scenarios being found dead. Since then, electioneering periods have often been visited by cases of police brutality against the opposition supporters.
In 2007, there was widespread atrocities committed in the country. The said general elections period is infamous for ensuing spontaneous violence and crimes against humanity. According to the International Criminal Court, crimes against humanity such as murder, deportation or forcible transfer of population, persecution, rape, and other inhumane acts took place in the country. In 2017, Kenya’s presidential election also was marred by serious human rights violations, including gang rapes, unlawful killings and beatings by police during protests and house-to-house operations in western Kenya, which was aligned to the opposition. At least 12 people were reportedly killed and over 100 badly injured. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights also reported that the police had killed at least 24 people nationwide, including one in Kisumu and 17 in Nairobi. The numbers reported are most likely much higher, as the Kenyan media were slow in reporting on the violence and families were afraid to speak out. Amongst the casualties included six-month-old Samantha Pendo who died after police officers reportedly smashed her head while in the arms of her mother, in Nyalenda, an informal settlement in Kisumu. This mirrors the current police brutality casualties where minors including a 12 year old boy from Rongai have been shot dead by police officers tackling ‘criminals’ in the finance bill protests.
A force by any other name is just as brutal. It seems years of advocacy on police reforms and the need for the police to respect the rights of protesters have yielded very little considering the recent protests. The brutalizing and killing of protesters in broad day light had resulted to questions of accountability and the needs to ensure the full force of the law comes into play as a deterrence measure for the rogue police.
This also brings into the spotlight ongoing cases on police brutality and state accountability such as the baby pendo case for which the police’ suspects are yet to take plea. Subsequent periods of unrest, maandamano, etc. have seen many more ‘baby pendos’ killed. There is still need to unearth other atrocities that may have been committed such as sexual violence, gang rape, robberies etc. by the police and other rogue elements during the protests.
It has been a sad scene taking us back to the dark days where people fighting for their rights lost their lives all together in the hands of an entity meant to protect and serve civilians. Still, we will relentlessly fight to bring every ‘criminal officer’ to answer for their actions in the line of duty.
Aluta Continua!