Police brutality, historical land injustices and drugs to form basis of KNHCR report

Kagwiria Mbogori, the chairperson of the Kenya National Commission of Human Rights, at Lamu Fort on November 7, 2016. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • For the past one month, the KNCHR has been crisscrossing the four coastal counties to find out how insecurity had impacted on and led to gross violation of human rights.

  • The commission is expected to compile a detailed report on the matter which shall then be submitted to President Uhuru Kenyatta and parliamentary committees for action.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has said that matters of police brutality, historical land injustices and drugs will form the basis of their report following the conclusion of a public inquiry on insecurity and enjoyment of human rights in Mombasa, Kwale, Tana River and Lamu.

For the past one month, the KNCHR has been crisscrossing the four coastal counties to find out how insecurity had impacted on and led to gross violation of human rights.

The commission is expected to compile a detailed report on the matter which shall then be submitted to President Uhuru Kenyatta and parliamentary committees for action.

Addressing journalists in Lamu Island on conclusion of the commission’s hearings at the weekend, KNCHR Chairperson Kagwiria Mbogori said major issues that have been noted to be of concern at the coast are matters of land, criminal gangs in Mombasa, clashes between pastoralists and farmers in Tana River and major allegations of police brutality.

Ms Mbogori said the issue of police violating human rights had largely dominated most of the commission’s sittings.

She said in Lamu, the commission received information about very disturbing incidents of torture.

The chairperson said it was unfortunate that a number of people had been arrested and incarcerated without charges being preferred for more than three months. 

“For that time, many have reported having been tortured in the detention centres. The fact that we have detention centres where torture is actively taking place in our country, particularly at the coast is regrettable,” she said.

AFFECTED BUSINESSES

Ms Mbogori said security had greatly affected businesses and employment and caused a lot of frustration and depression especially among coastal people.

She said the commission had also received reports of aggressive use of drugs and increased drug trafficking and drug cartels at the coast.

“In some incidents we have had police being seriously implicated in the war on drugs,” she said. Security agencies have become accomplices and agents of drug cartels instead of bringing the entire menace to a stop. These are some of the issues of concern that we will be keenly looking into as we prepare our report.”

On his side, Independent Police Oversight Authorty Commissioner Mr Vincent Kiptoo said police misconduct was rampant at the coast and said they had reports that police were quite involved in drug-dealing, a factor he said greatly compromises investigations and the entire war on drugs.

“We have also noted that some members of the security agencies are employing outlawed investigative methods in their work that don’t conform to the international human rights standards. These include issues of security officers using vehicles without number plates or covered number plates while conducting investigations and making arrests,” Mr Kiptoo said.

The commissioner said: “The journey towards human rights compliance should be embraced by all security agencies and IPOA will be working towards ensuring police reduce the level of professional misconduct in order to enhance practices that conform with international human rights standards and also to operate within the country’s legal framework”.