President William Ruto has addressed concerns on actions to be taken against National Police Service (NPS) officers who are found guilty of acting out of law during the ongoing protests.
In a Cabinet Despatch on June 4, 2024, the members of Cabinet led by Ruto pointed out that action will be taken against such officers.
They also highlighting that the police force as a whole acted professionally in very difficult circumstances despite the few who went rogue.
This came following a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Ruto at State House Nairobi where members were briefed about the current security situation in the country.
Cabinet said that any officer who may have acted outside the confines of the law will be dealt with in accordance with legal procedure and by the institutions mandated to do so.
However, the Cabinet lauded officers in general for their conduct in the ongoing protests saying that they have acted professionally.
According to Cabinet, the riots which started as genuine protests were infiltrated, hijacked and taken over by criminal and opportunistic political forces.
Further, the members noted that security agencies did a good job of protecting the country from anarchists, having been informed that the agencies have since stabilized the situation and that they are continuing to monitor the developments.
Cabinet Lauds Police
“Due to the threat posed to Parliament, the Supreme Court and other infrastructure, the Cabinet was informed that all national security agencies, including the military, were deployed to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
“The President said the government must now focus on charting a new future for the country, pointing out that significant changes must be made to align with that new future,” read part of the despatch.
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Further, the Cabinet defended the Police saying that the two criminal groups have in the past two weeks reigned terror on the people of Kenya in the cities, towns and other urban areas.
According to Cabinet, their actions have occasioned loss of life, destruction of National and County governments’ buildings, infrastructure, vehicles, homes and businesses.
The Cabinet also called for action against those who have committed heinous crimes of arson, looting and robbery, among others, saying such atrocities must not go unpunished.
Killings During Protest
The lauding of the police force came as the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC) announced that more than forty Kenyan lives have been lost since the onset of the countrywide protests that have rocked the country for more than two weeks.
Also Read: ICJ Reveals Number of Police Killings in 2024 Protests, Gives IPOA Ultimatum
The commission during a press briefing on Thursday July 4 revealed that Anti-government demonstrations have resulted to 42 Deaths.
Also, a total number of 361 people have suffered injuries, with another 627 persons having been arrested.
At the same time, the Commission said that abductions have been on the rise, having recorded 32 such cases.
KNHRC Spokesperson Davies Malombe further demanded that the police stop using excessive force against protesters in during demonstrations
He was accompanied by members of the Police Reforms Working Group led by Vivian Mwende of IMLU who also accused police of failing to protect businesses that are getting looted in Nairobi and other parts of the country.
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