Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula, has asked Kenyans not to condemn the entire police service.
Public confidence in the National Police Service has continued to decline amid mounting cases of brutality.
There has been nationwide outrage over police conduct during recent protests, where they have been accused of using tear gas and force to disperse peaceful demonstrators.
Among the most disturbing incidents is the shooting of 22-year-old face mask vendor Boniface Kariuki — also known as Eli Joshua — during the June 17 protests.
Kariuki was reportedly shot at close range by police officers while selling surgical face masks. Two officers, Klinzy Masinde Barasa and Duncan Kiprono, have since been interdicted and are being held at the Capitol Hill Police Station as investigations continue.
In a statement on Friday, the Speaker said Kenyans should not condemn the whole police service because of the actions of one officer.
He said perpetrators who commit injustices in the country must be held into account.
“We must not use the actions of one police officer to condemn the entire force,” he said.
“I urged Kenyans not to be drawn into conflicts that are not their own, reminding them that we all share a duty to protect and grow our nation. I emphasised that in cases where injustices have been committed, the responsible individuals must be held accountable through due process.”
Wetang’ula called out leaders perpetuating political divisions.
He noted that, while differing opinions are healthy in a democracy, the primary focus must remain on serving the people.
He spoke on Friday when he attended a Women Empowerment Initiative in Borabu Constituency, Nyamira County.
The Speaker was accompanied by Nyamira MP Jerusha Momanyi.
Human rights groups are now calling for the UN's intervention to restore accountability and weed out rogue officers.
Defenders Coalition and the Social Justice Centers Working Group told the Star that while the Independent Policing Oversight Authority is legally mandated to hold police accountable, the agency is severely overstretched.
Kamau Ngugi, executive director of the Defenders Coalition, said international intervention is the only way to guarantee impartiality, given the high-level political interests involved.
“A huge swath of the Kenyan public does not believe that justice will be served in cases like Albert Ojwang’s, given that the top command of the police stands accused. It is clear that the police command will do all it can to hide any incriminating evidence against their own,” he said.
