Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has today resurfaced and accused the opposition of hiring dead bodies and blaming them on the police in order to demoralise and intimidate them.
The IG who had not been seen in public or heard of since April has sensationally argued that the leaders have been parading bodies so as to implicate police officers as being behind the killings.
“We have officers who love their country and are ready to serve the citizens of this country. We are going to discharge our mandate without losing focus,” said the IG at the National Police College Kiganjo main campus in Nyeri.
“There is a lot of propaganda out there. It is very unfortunate. We have seen senior members of society going to mortuaries and hiring bodies, calling the media, and telling them that these people were killed by police officers,” he said.
Koome further commended the Police for their actions during the anti-government protests led by Azimio la Umoja.
Human rights groups and the opposition have accused the police of carrying out extrajudicial killings during the recent protests against the high cost of living and the Finance Act 2023.
We have seen senior members of society going to mortuaries, hiring bodies, calling media, and blaming police for the deaths.
Japhet Koome, Inspector General of Police, Kenya
For instance, at least 11 people were killed in Kisumu and Kisii counties during the anti-government demonstrations last month.
Amnesty International in conjunction with the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Kenya Medical Association (KMA) on Friday, said police used excessive force to disperse protestors during the riots.
“Between 28-30 July 2023, Amnesty International Kenya, the Law Society of Kenya, and the Kenya Medical Association visited Kisumu and Kisii Counties,” the three organizations said in a joint statement last week.
“We are saddened to report that preliminary investigations confirm that at least 11 people were killed, most suffering bullet wounds and a few cases of blunt-force trauma.”
The report’s findings also revealed that during the period, 107 police assault cases were recorded in the two regions, with 47 of these being gunshot related.
“Initial reports indicate that police shot indiscriminately at unarmed protestors, including those who had surrendered or were running away from the police,” the statement added.
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