Police ordered not to share information on deaths resulting from Azimio protests
Police in a plot to cover up deaths arising from the Azimio protests following an order issued to all regional commanders
Police in a plot to cover up deaths arising from the Azimio protests following an order issued to all regional commanders.
Information on fatalities, injuries, and property damage resulting from the ongoing anti-government demonstrations by opposition supporters will no longer be made public by the police.
This is in response to a directive that all Regional Commanders received from Police Headquarters.
That signifies a change from the current process, in which all incidents are reported through the police channel, also known as “signals.”
According to a publication Sunday Nation, all commanders were advised to use communication channels that are only visible to a few officers within senior ranks of the National Police Service, effectively throwing a blanket of information blackout to the rest of the country.
Police signals are often shared with the public and the media, and they help to verify and disseminate information from security agencies.
“…it’s advisable for you not to mention officers’ names after a serious encounter with not only riotous crowds but also criminals, lest it is used against us. Don’t use open files. Let’s have restricted access to confidential information via email,” reads the order shared on Friday, requiring police to avoid using the signal that goes to all stations and officers.
The order was made public at the same time the Raila Odinga-led Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party intended to hold police commanders accountable on an individual basis for any deaths, injuries, or property damage caused by their subordinates during the ongoing mass action.
Rigathi Gachagua, the deputy president, also issued a warning, saying that Monday’s demonstrations would not be handled in a “business as usual” manner and that the police “would act strongly” to protect people’s lives and property.
According to the publication, a high-ranking policeman aware of the communication against the use of Police Signals expressed fears that the censor order could defeat accountability and give some officers a leeway to go scot-free after misusing firearms.
“They are now withholding information and will only later selectively issue statements saying bodies were found with bullet wounds. This is not good even for us in terms of accountability,” said the officer opposed to the move.
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This comes after top security bosses held a crisis meeting in the wake of widespread condemnation against the use of excessive force against unarmed civilians and journalists in the past three demonstrations.
The subsequent uproar is said to have attracted the attention of President William Ruto who on Friday had a meeting with Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome and other top police bosses.
In the meeting, the President is reported to have cautioned the police bosses over the deaths reported, advising them to uphold the rule of law and protect lives and property.
Meanwhile, the Azimio coalition is exploring the concept of command responsibility to deal with top police commanders in the wake of violent attacks on demonstrators.
Following the violent response by police against protesters on Thursday last week, Raila Odinga has assembled a team of security and legal experts to determine the orders given by the police that led to the brutality, and what he termed as the shooting of live bullets at his car at least ten times.
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