Haki Africa and Ipoa on Thursday differed over extrajudicial killing at the Coast.
While the human rights organisation said the killings increased between 2018 and last year, the police oversight authority said they declined.
While releasing a report dubbed ‘State of Human Rights at the Coast of Kenya 2019’ at the Swahilipot Centre in Mombasa, Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid said more extrajudicial killings happened last year compared to 2018.
The report states that extra-judicial killings in the region rose by 48 per cent last year from 2018.
“There were at least 43 killings by police or suspected to have been committed by the police in 2019 compared to 29 that were reported in 2018,” the report states.
However, Independent Police Oversight Authority chairperson Anne Makori said their 2018 report differs slightly from that of Haki Africa, having recorded 39 deaths.
“In 2019, our records indicate a decline to 30 deaths and 14 shootings, not necessarily deaths,” Makori said.
However, both Haki Africa and Ipoa recorded a decreased number of forced disappearances in 2019 compared to 2018.
While Haki Africa recorded 11 cases last year compared to nine in 2018, Ipoa says it had six forced disappearances recorded in 2018 and four last year.
“We cannot say disappearances are assigned to police. There are various reasons why people disappear. Some of them disappear because they have gone into other activities thereof,” Makori said.
She, however, said there was a general increase of reported cases on police action but, not necessarily deaths.
Ipoa recorded 384 general cases last year compared to 313 reported in 2018 at the Coast.
Haki Africa said in total, 443 cases of human rights violations were reported to Haki Africa and partner justice centres in 2019.
Makori said this is an encouraging sign that Kenyans are trusting police authority more and understanding their mandate.
She encouraged Kenyans to report these cases more.
Khalid said it is disheartening to hear of atrocities in Kenya, which boasts of the best Bill of Rights in the world.
“Police must be encouraged to give opportunities for reforms,” he said.
Those who show a willingness to change should be accorded the chance to do so, the human rights defender noted.
“Killing them will not only deny the suspects a chance to reform but also create unnecessary ill feelings by their families and friends,” Khalid warned.
He cited Omar Ruwa’s case.
Ruwa, a former al Shabaab returnee who had been on a reform path for the past seven years, was gunned down by suspected police in Watamu last year on December 31.
Khalid termed the 11 cases of forced disappearances at the Coast as sad.
“We must exorcise the demon of disappearances and confront it head-on,” he said.
Makori said the time had come for all security agencies and civil societies to work together with the community to ensure there is a free and just society.
Ipoa said investigations for several cases are complete and waiting for ballistics report at the DCI.
These include those of Shee Hassan Adoli, 28, and Jacob Kilonzi, 43.
Shee was killed by suspected plainclothes police at Barsheba market last year on January 29.
He was said to be in dispute with his younger brother of their grandmother’s house.
Shee was opposed to his brother Yusuf’s idea to sell the house. Yusuf called police on him.
Kilonzi, a matatu tout in Mikindani, was killed by what police first said was a stray bullet last year on April 30 while they were chasing a suspected criminal, Simon Kinyua.
Later, police said Kilonzi was involved in a robbery and was on police radar.
Edited by R.Wamochie
