We don’t need a special squad to enforce COVID-19 protocols- Lobby Groups

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 6- Plans to establish a special COVID-19 protocols enforcement squad have been resisted by several human rights organizations, over fears of what they term as the “securitization” of health issues.

In a statement, the more than 10 groups, mostly community based, said the country must tread carefully and that history must not repeat itself. Making reference to the events of early March when police were accused of abusing their mandate while enforcing a national curfew to curb the spread of the deadly corona virus.

A case study was the shooting to death of a 13 year-old boy in Nairobi, during an enforcement operation.

Yassin Moyo was playing at the balcony of his home in Huruma when he was shot by a police officer. The officer is currently under investigation.

“As human rights defenders, our experience on the ground is that security agencies, particularly the police, have time and again failed to enforce the regulations and instead used the regulations to harass, intimidate, torture and even kill Kenyans in the guise of enforcing Covid-19 regulations,” the lobby groups said in a statement.

“lt is public knowledge how the people have suffered during this period in the hands of security agencies and there are numerous cases of wanton violations which include the killing of 13-year-old Yassin Moyo.”

The lobby groups further decried what they termed as systematic discrimination against Kenyans.

Despite politicians defying all the basic rules, they noted, police have turned a blind eye on them.

“Besides violating human rights, thus far, police have also applied double standards in enforcing Covid-19 regulations as they have time and again prevented civil society from holding peaceful protests against Covid-L9 millionaires but at the same time, allowed politicians to hold massive gatherings in outright violation of Covid-19 regulations,” they said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has since issued a 60 day ban on political meetings.

For those who wish to hold meetings, the President said, they should do so in a town hall setup withthose present not exceeding a third of the normal capacity.

Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has since issued a directive to police, requiring them to firmly enforce the protective measures.