The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) has asked the National Police Service (NPS) to suspend Nakuru County Police Commander Peter Mwanzo.
In a statement released by the professional body on Wednesday, July 20, IMLU said the decision was arrived at over the said extra judicial killings of four men suspected to be members of the Confirm gang.
“Our preliminary findings point to a police service gone rogue, it is not beyond imagination that the execution of the four was premeditated, planned and executed,” IMLU Executive Director, Peter Kiama said.
Kiama further said that the body condemns the killing of the four terming it as a heinous act.”We immediately call for suspension and investigations of the Commander’s responsibilities in this incident.”
The IMLU boss said reports from the postmortem revealed that the four were shot in close range with two kneeling and others standing.
Confirming the deaths of the four on Friday, July 15, Police Commander Peter Mwanzo said the suspects were shot dead by police who were on night patrol.
Mwanzo said there had been speculation that members of the gang previously killed two people in that area after the police received a tip from the community.
The IMLU boss condemned the Nakuru police for failing to respect the rule of law and human life.
Kiama said incidents where the police take action without considering the law have increased.
“In 2020 and 2021 we recorded 115 cases with an increase of 80 per cent compared to previous years spread countrywide,” he noted.
He asked Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and Internal Affairs Unit to thoroughly investigate the killings of four suspected ‘Confirm’ gang members.
“I call upon the government to reinforce the core duty of the police in protecting life and respecting human rights,” IMLU Director added.
Kiama said the witnesses willing to give evidence of the incident are to be placed under protection.
