- The senators expressed anger at the police saying they have become rogue and turned heat on IG Hillary Mutyambai to tame his officers.
- Wetang'ula said the 2010 Constitution changed the structure of the police from a force – associated with brutality and killings – to a service.
Image: Photos: MERCY MUMO
Senators have decried the increased cases of extrajudicial killings and use of excessive force by police against citizens during demonstrations.
The lawmakers say cases of police officers killing, maiming and injuring innocent citizens exercising their right to demonstrate have reached alarming levels.
They cited last month’s killing of Alex Macharia, a trader at Kahawa West in Nairobi.
Macharia was allegedly shot dead by police as they engaged in a demonstration after their stalls were demolished by City Hall and Nairobi Metropolitan Services officers last month.
The senators expressed anger at the police saying they have become rogue and turned the heat on Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai to tame his officers.
“Guns and bullets are used as a measure of last resort when the police are in danger of being attacked by armed criminals, but not on picketers and demonstrators,” Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula said.
Wetang'ula said the 2010 Constitution changed the structure of the police from a force — associated with brutality and killings — to a service.
He said in countries like the United Kingdom, when you are in trouble, lost or under threat, you feel relieved when you see a police officer. That might not always be the case in Kenya.
Turkana Senator Malachy Imana termed the situation sad.
He said Kenyans should not die in the hands of the same police officers who are supposed to protect them.
“Utumishi kwa Wote means the police must be a service that helps wananchi survive and not kill them,”Senator Imana said.
He said the use of excessive force by the police is usually a problem of leadership and poor training of the officers.
“They should be trained in such a way that they understand their prime purpose is to protect the citizens of Kenya so that they are safe wherever they may be,” he said.
Imana said Kenyans are free to picket and demonstrate peacefully as long as they are not causing harm to other people or destroying property.
The legislators were reacting to a statement by their colleague Millicent Omanga regarding the alleged shooting and subsequent death of Macharia on August 25.
In the statement, Omanga petitioned the House Security Committee to explain the circumstances that led to Macharia’s death.
“The committee should provide an update on the investigations on the use of excessive force and use of live bullets against the demonstrators by police officers during the demonstration,”
“Indicate the measures that have been put in place to ensure that the police officers responsible for the death are brought to book and outline the steps, if any, that have been taken to compensate the family of Mr. Macharia,” she added.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua said every person anywhere in the country has a right to assemble, demonstrate, picket and present petitions to public authorities.
“First, picketing is not a crime. It cannot be that the price for picketing is loss of life. The Act that establishes the National Police Service gives officers a duty of care and responsibility, to enforce the law and the Constitution.”
“To the extent that a police officer would pull the trigger and because the death of a human being on account of picketing, is a serious violation of the Constitution of Kenya, of basic rights and the right to picket,” he added.
Edited by EKibii