Covid-19 curfew: Court orders stop to police brutality

Police order Mombasa residents on ground on March 27, 2020 just hours before the start of nationwide curfew to curb spread of coronavirus. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The police have also been barred from interfering with media coverage.

High Court Judge Weldon Korir has issued an order compelling the Inspector General of Police to publish in newspapers within 48 hours guidelines for officers on how to enforce the State imposed curfew.

The said guidelines should also be filed in court, he said.

The police have also been barred from using unreasonable force as well as interfering with media coverage.

The judge has directed the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) to provide copies of the case documents to the sued parties by midday tomorrow and that other documents to be filed via email.

The respondents of the case filed by the lawyers' lobby are IG Mutyambai, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, the Attorney General, the Chief Justice and the Health CS Mutahi Kagwe.

LSK had moved to court seeking suspension of the dusk-to-dawn curfew and an order compelling CS Kagwe to provide more details on the country’s preparedness in tackling coronavirus.

The case will be heard online via Zoom on April 2.