As the public awaits justice for 56 Gen Zs who were allegedly killed by the police during the countrywide anti-government protests, two government organs have renewed their differences over accountability.  

Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (Ipoa) and the police are pointing fingers at each other over the deaths.

Ipoa Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elema Halake has claimed that they lack adequate support from the police during their investigative process.

“We don’t have the full cooperation of the National Police Service. We don’t get the total cooperation we require. We also don’t get all the witnesses we require for the purpose of progressing those cases with the required speed,” Mr Elema said.

“We are under pressure from the victims’ families and the public in general to probe these cases as quickly as possible. Generally, investigations of cases arising from alleged police misconduct in regard to public order management are very challenging. Criminal investigation is not an easy process,” he added.

The CEO was speaking at Sarova Maiyan hotel in Nanyuki during the 5th annual media training on police accountability, safety, and security for journalists.

The training was hosted by International Justice Mission (IJM) in partnership with Amnesty International-Kenya and other Missing Voices Coalition partners. 

But speaking during the same event, National Police Service Commission (NPSC) CEO Peter Leley said they have been according to Ipoa support by providing them with information and evidence to assist them in executing their investigations.

“If there is police misbehaviour, it is a personal responsibility. What we do as the employer is to offer our support by ensuring that we take administrative or disciplinary action where necessary. We try our best by giving them (Ipoa) necessary evidence and information whenever they require,” Mr Leley said.

He urged Ipoa to improve on their role and stop blaming the National Police Service.

“But we also want to say that it is not the statements from the IG, DCI and other senior officers that assists Ipoa to make their investigations. We encourage them to take that work of investigation very seriously,” the CEO said.

“There is a lot that needs to be done. We should not become a scapegoat for low performance on their end,” he added.

United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) deputy representative for the Eastern Africa region, Ms Maymuchka Lauriston, said her office will continue to support the Kenya government in enhancing accountability during peaceful demonstrations.

“We will continue providing technical expertise to the police and investigators at the criminal justice system to ensure that those responsible are held accountable. We will also continue putting pressure on those in government to ensure that there is accountability and that those acts of brutality will never happen again,” Ms Maymuchka said during the media training.  

"The government should ensure that people exercise their rights to peaceful demonstrations in an environment that completely respects human rights,” she added.

Ipoa affirmed that 56 deaths were reported during the Gen Z protests.

Mr Elema said: “We have just released a report of the monitoring of police operations during the Gen Z protests. We usually make critical observations on what the police did not handle well. During the protests, 56 deaths were reported”.

He said that out of the four(4) files they submitted to the Office of Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) regarding the Gen Z-led protests, one(1) file has been approved while three(3) have been returned back to them for review.