Let leaders dialogue and stop police brutality

The conduct of the police during the ongoing anti-government demonstrations has come under sharp criticism, with allegations of brutality. This is hardly surprising, considering the increasing number of reported deaths from gunshot wounds, after police reportedly fired live ammunition to stop protesters.

President William Ruto has praised the police for their performance during the demonstrations. And so have Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome. It is, of course, the cardinal duty of the government to maintain law and order at all times. Indeed, the police code of conduct and regulations are clear on the right of the officers to use reasonable force in case they come under grave danger or to prevent criminals from harming law-abiding citizens.

While the government is right to laud those officers who firmly deal with threats to national security, there is also evidence of police using excessive force against peaceful demonstrators and claims of random raids in residential houses to beat up people.

Such allegations are disturbing.  These officers have an obligation to impartially discharge their duties. They have a duty to protect every Kenyan, including those who exercise their constitutional right to picket or stage peaceful demonstrations. But the hooligans and criminals, who take advantage of these protests to wreak havoc and steal, must be identified and apprehended.

Stone-throwing mobs

Though police have in some places been attacked by stone-throwing mobs, in other cases, their actions have been rather heavy-handed, with live bullets being fired at unarmed civilians. This is a clear violation of the law, and which the authorities — particularly the Independent Policing Oversight Authority — should condemn and move quickly to investigate. The country has been engulfed by a wave of violence that threatens to break it. Nobody stands to gain from chaos and anarchy.

There have been too many horrendous incidents. They include the case of a student in Kisumu who it is alleged police shot nine times with the bullets still stuck in his body. He is lucky to be alive and receiving expert care in hospital.

Mobs of protesters, who have defied police orders, have been shot, resulting in deaths. Many other people are nursing serious wounds, and the death toll could rise. In the past few days in the slums of Nairobi and in some rural villages, have emerged shocking images of civilians being brutalised by what appear like special armed squads that liberally inflict injuries with their firearms and clubs, some resulting in deaths.

The plainclothes officers captured on camera have shown immense brutality, roaming through the slums and villages, breaking into homes. Some have masqueraded as journalists, only to arrest and drag suspects away. The Media Council of Kenya has taken great exception to this, as it could endanger the real journalists when the public turns against them.

Protective gear

Police, who are supposed to be provided with protective gear, have at their disposal tear gas, water canons and batons that they should use to control demonstrators who become a threat to life and property. The trigger-happy fellows among them are causing untold suffering to innocents and also giving our country a bad name. In the past few days, more than 300 suspects, including several politicians, have been arrested.

While the law is quite clear that suspects should not be held for more than 24 hours without being produced in court, some, among them MPs, have been detained incommunicado for several days. This, if proved to be the case, is a blatant violation of the law, but worse, it threatens to erode the gains of the past two decades in the promotion of rights, freedoms and democracy.

It is important t maintain law and order and ensure demonstrations are peaceful. Many businesses, especially those of small-scale traders, have lost badly as looters had a field day in some instances. The loss to the economy is estimated in several billion shillings daily. The country cannot afford this. We once again appeal to the political class on both sides of the divide to soften their hardline stances and embrace dialogue for the national good.

President Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga must surely feel the pain of their fellow Kenyans, who are traumatised by this situation. There is no reason why they cannot prevail on their belligerent allies and give peace a chance. As they have done before, the two leaders should reach out to each other and help end this current standoff with one key option being the revival of the collapsed bipartisan talks. Chest thumping is unlikely to resolve anything.