The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has issued a stern warning to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), accusing the agency of laxity in handling cases of police brutality.
LSK Vice President Mwaura Kabata criticized IPOA’s slow progress, revealing that only six out of 60 reported cases have been investigated and forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) nearly a year later.
Kabata described the delayed investigations as a “near proof of dereliction of duty,” warning that inaction, complacency, and lack of urgency by the authority amount to complicity.
Speaking at their headquarters in Nairobi, the lawyers decried the inaction and slow pace of investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) into the killing by security officers.
“We are calling for accountability on the brutal killings of Kenyans and seeking investigations on all extrajudicial killings by officers of the national security organs. The right to life is enshrined and safeguarded under Article 26 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010,” the LSK boss stated.
“The preservation of the right is not only crucial for its enjoyment by individuals but also bears a significant impact on our nation and its sovereignty.”
“Invariably, the ramifications of disregard for and violation of the right to life not only indicates injustice and disregard of the rule of law, it equally paints a grueling picture of the state of our democracy and presents a damning indictment on the national security.”