DP Gachagua To Police: Don’t Panic, You Were Getting The Wrong Orders

NANDI, Kenya, Oct 19- Deputy President Rigathi Gahchagua has placed blame on the former Director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti, over the alleged conduct of the disbanded Special Service Unit (SSU).

Already, nearly 100 officers attached to the unit have been sent on compulsory 30-day leave.

Speaking in Nandi County during a commemoration ceremony in honour of freedom fighter Koilatel Arap Samoei, he said the unit was used to execute Kenyans.

“Our police officers are good people, it is their leader who used to issue wrong orders,” he said. “You will now get the right orders that are consistent with our constitution.

Some of the officers have since been questioned over the missing 2 foreigners and their driver.

Both President William Ruto and his Deputy Gachagua have accused the unit of being used by the former regime to conduct cases of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearance.

Human Rights organizations have since called on the Government to investigate the officers and prosecute those who will be found culpable.

“Disbanding Special Service Unit is not enough: Members of SSU must be investigated and prosecuted for their individual and command roles in extortion, abductions, kidnappings, torture, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearance which are serious crimes,” human rights organizations under the Police Working Group said on Wednesday.

Here is the full statement by Police @ReformsGroup @MissingVoicesKE @IMLU_org @thekhrc @DefendersKE @ODPP_KE @NPSOfficial_KE @DCI_Kenya @IAU_Kenya @IPOA_KE pic.twitter.com/gngWfIoP7L

— IJM Kenya (@IJMKenya) October 19, 2022

They further called on Government to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in accordance with its constitutional and international obligations.

Also, they want the government to immediately commence the process of appointing the National Coroner to facilitate independent investigations into all reportable and questionable deaths in Kenya.

We demand that President make public the report submitted by the Internal Affairs Unit
(IAU) that triggered the disbandment of the SSU. It is vital that the National Police Service
Commission (NPSC) fulfils its role in exercising disciplinary control over police officers

— Police Reforms Working Group – Kenya (@ReformsGroup) October 19, 2022