The police reforms group has urged IG nominee Japhet Koome to clarify certain rights violations.
They say when Koome was the Nairobi county commander, many human rights violations by police took place.
In a press statement on Tuesday, they said Koome’s time was marked by police killings of unarmed protesters and children as well as sexual violence.
“We are guided by the findings and recommendations of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reports and the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority,” they said.
The group said the 2017 anti-IEBC protests, the University of Nairobi raid and policing of the 2017 election guide their inquiry.
“IPOA’s report on the anti-IEBC protests indicts Koome’s leadership, finding that there was no prior briefing or training of police officers involved in the public order management of the protests,” they said.
The protests resulted in severe injuries in Nairobi and the death of children including baby Pendo and Stephanie Moraa.
IPOA also indicts Koome for failure to cooperate with them despite his legal obligation to do so.
They said that during the inquest into the killing of nine-year-old Stephanie Moraa, the court determined that the police refused to provide their report of the investigations.
“KNCHR's report on the raid at the University of Nairobi says General Service Unit officers forcibly entered the Architecture Design and Development Building and apprehended and tortured students and some staff,” they said.
Students and staff were beaten with batons, slaps, kicks, and gun butts for seven hours, they said.
The report also said students were forced to do push-ups, female students were groped and Luo and Luhya students were targeted for their political inclination.
Although they support President William Ruto’s commitment to end extrajudicial killings and rights violations by police, they said Koome needs to make assurances.
“We believe that Koome should publicly and satisfactorily explain his position as a person and the measures he has taken to reduce the mentioned violations,” they said.
The group further said Koome should also explain what measures he will take to prevent similar atrocities from happening in the future as inspector general, should Parliament approve his nomination.
Koome is set to face Parliament today for vetting.
