Ruto warned to be wary of the powers bestowed on criminal gangs as the crackdown intensifies
Ruto warned to be wary of the powers bestowed on criminal gangs within Nairobi as the crackdown intensifies.
Irungu Houghton, the executive director of Amnesty International Kenya, has asked President William Ruto to be wary on the establishment of specialized teams to combat crime in Nairobi.
Following an increase in crime, President Ruto deployed officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) and the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) to the streets of Nairobi on Tuesday, November 15.
In an interview on Wednesday, November 16 however, Houghton cautioned the authorities to be wary of the powers bestowed to the criminal gangs.
In the past, he claimed, the units got off to a good course, but with time they developed into a law unto themselves.
“It is very important that they do not allow those units to become units unto themselves.
“What we have seen from the scandals in the last three weeks essentially is that the SSU (Special Service Unit) became essentially a law unto itself and in many cases broke the law with impunity,” he explained.
Regarding the Nairobi crime, Houghton challenged the state to improve the economy attributing the crime spike to the rising cost of living.
“We know that this is, primarily, arising from the cost of living and the fact that people are finding it very difficult to survive. So, in many cases, they are distressed crimes,” he added.
In his directive, President Ruto approved the stationing of the officers as a reinforcement to the security agents patrolling the city.
“Cabinet sanctioned swift and decisive action to deal with all those perpetrating crimes with the deployment of additional specialized police units drawn from the GSU and RDU,” a dispatch from the Cabinet meeting read in part.
In addition, Ruto asked law enforcers not to hesitate to use force on armed criminals who endanger their lives.
“We have given you the instruments to ensure that we deal with criminals decisively, firmly, and conclusively in accordance with the law and the constitution,” he stated.
“Do not wait until our officers are killed so that you can act. If any officer is in danger of criminals, they must use their firearms to deal with criminals.”
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