Ipoa probe into extrajudicial killings nears end

An incident where police officers shot a man then later followed him to hospital where he was receiving treatment, forcefully took him away before his lifeless body was found at City Mortuary, are among recent cases of extrajudicial killings being investigated by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa).

According to the authority, Mr Evans Odhiambo, a mechanic, was on his way from work when he encountered police officers who were pursuing robbers in Mathare, Nairobi.

The officers shot him but locals rushed him to Mathare Health Centre where he was admitted.

However, according to Ipoa, the officers later stormed into the health centre and forcefully took Mr Odhiambo to an unknown destination. His body was later found at City Mortuary with multiple gun shot wounds.

MUGGERS

Mr Odhiambo’s case is among eight cases which Ipoa said will soon be handed over to the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The recent killing of a Leeds University student in Kibera is also a case at its final stages before prosecution takes place.

In a statement, Ipoa differed with an initial statement by the police that the student identified as Mr Carilton David Maina was among a group of thugs who were mugging locals.

According to Ipoa, Mr Maina was from watching a football match when they had a confrontation with two officers before he was shot dead.

“In the confrontation, Mr Maina was allegedly shot and killed by police,” the report said.

Just like Mr Maina, Mr Fredrick Omondi, who was heading home from Rongo town, was allegedly accosted, assaulted and fatally shot when he tried to flee from two police officers.

VICTIMS

The unidentified officers who are attached to Kamagambo Police Station were on patrol.

Another incident that Ipoa said was on its final stages of investigation is the shooting of Mr Bahati Juma in Malindi.

Mr Juma was riding his motorcycle carrying two sacks of charcoal when he noticed two vehicles following him closely.

When he allowed the two vehicles to overtake him, one of the cars stopped and two officers alighted.

“One of the officers allegedly shot him twice, hitting him once in the left shoulder,” Ipoa said in the report.

The authority also said it is following an incident where officers attached to Malakisi Police Station in Bungoma County shot dead a Mr George Wekesa.

PROTESTS

The officers who were assigned to raid illicit brew dens in Butonge are said to have assaulted Mr Wekesa - whose death led to a demonstration by locals. In the protests, the police allegedly shot one person dead and injured others.

In yet another incident in western region, officers fatally shot four people and injured six others.

The two police officers were on a mission to arrest a man for alleged wife battery, but things turned tragic when members of the public intervened.

“The arresting officers sought reinforcement. Subsequently two people were fatally shot while another was injured,” Ipoa said.

Other incidents are the shooting of six people in Dandora, Nairobi, and the killing of Abdia Adan in Mandera County.

CONVICTIONS

Ipoa released the fresh cases just a few months after a new board led by Ms Anne Makori took over.

In its six year report released in 2018, out of 9,000 cases lodged with the authority, only four have been got successful convictions.

In the recent past the country has seen an upsurge in cases of extrajudicial killings.