NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 28- A new report by the Missing Voices, a coalition of 15 Civil Society Organisations in Kenya, says police have killed more than 500 people in 3 years.
In 2021, the lobby groups led initiative documented 219 cases of police killings and enforced disappearances.
Out of these, 187 cases were of police killings while 32 were of enforced disappearances, the coalition said.
Two victims of enforced disappearances were later found alive, “after campaigns by civil society organisations.”
“Originally there were 36 cases of enforced disappearances; four of these were found dead more than 24 hours after disappearing in police custody, two were returned alive and 30 are still missing.”
According to the report, Pangani police station in Nairobi has the highest number of police killings in the country.
Missing voices documented 30 cases, “that are reportedly associated with Pangani police station.”
“In 2021, every month, with the exception of June, officers from Pangani are accused of murder,” the coalition said.
In 2019, Missing Voice documented 145 cases of police killings. Further, it said 168 people were killed or disappeared while in police custody.
Of the cases of police killings and where survivors are seeking justice, the Missing Voices said, “were taken back to the inquest stage because of ‘lack of evidence’.”
This is despite, “the fact that they had witness reports, post-mortem examinations reports and the police officers identified.”
“All the accused officers continued operating in the same communities and used unlawful tactics to throw out or weaken the cases. The threatened witnesses and intimidated families.”
The Missing voices documented an incident where a witness was killed.
“Despite the fact we are seeing more arrests of police officers involved in such killings, the criminal justice system is slow in dispensing justice, but a gap in law or its application has a significant bearing on the case’s outcome,” the lobby groups said.
The pointed out poor implementation of the victim and witness protection Acts as a major hindrance for them to testify, for fear of being targeted.
The human rights organisations now want a law on enforced disappearances enacted, or “amend existing legislation to criminalize enforced disappearances.”
Such a law, the say said it should, “include recourse and reparations for victims and their families.”
Further, they want the government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).
The lobby groups have also asked the government to allocate more resources to the Witness Protection Agency.
With more resources, they said the agency will, “adequately protect witnesses and families of persons who have been forcefully disappeared.”
Also in their list of demands is the need to expedite cases on police killings and enforced disappearances in court, “and work with the Judiciary to provide a realistic timeline for when they will be resolved.”
The Missing Voices coalition which consists among others Amnesty International also want a habeas corpus guideline in collaboration with state oversight agencies, judiciary and civil society organisations developed.
They also want Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) guidelines on the investigations of enforced disappearances developed
Other organisations represented in the Missing Voices coalition include IJM-Kenya, Human Rights Watch, CODE for Africa, Police Reforms Working Group-Kenya, Kituo Cha Sheria, Muhuri, Defenders Coalation, ICJ-Kenya and Protection International Kenya.
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