Nairobi police bosses transferred over mishandling of anti-femicide protests » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 17 – Top police bosses in Nairobi have been transferred over the mishandling of last week’s anti-femicide protests, in changes announced by Inspector General of police Douglas Kanja.
Among those transferred, include Nairobi Central Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) Doris Mugambi who has been recalled to Police Headquarters.
She will be replaced by former Buruburu Deputy OCPD Stephen Okal.
Central Officer Commanding Station Isaac Nur has been replaced by Benjamin Talam and moved to Mulot in the same capacity.
The protesters who were generally peaceful were teargased and chased as at least four were arrested over the same.
This elicited reaction from the public and other stakeholders who demanded action on the police.
Officials said the police officers who handled the protests are under probe by among others the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU).
Kanja is said to have directed the matter be investigated.
Last week, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo regretted the police violence meted on peaceful anti-femicide protesters.
Omollo termed the violent scenes by police officers to unarmed protesters as “unfortunate and unacceptable” on the part of the government.
“I think the events were pretty much unfortunate and one happening on such an important day definitely, just shows the challenge we have around policing and looking at the people who were out there demonstrating,” the PS stated.
He acknowledged the importance of the demos in line with sensitizing Kenyans against femicide during the International Human Rights Day.
He said investigations into the incidents are ongoing and those found culpable would face the law.
Omollo said they have had a series of concerns across the country over the last few days on issues of femicide and for him it was a question where “we say things just didn’t go right”.
“It is not something we would want to say that is acceptable. We have had conversations with the Inspector General of Police, and it is regrettable and something that should not have happened in the first place.”
“It is something that we highly regret. We have the internal processes within the structure of police and what we expect is that anybody found culpable definitely has to be taken through the legal process and established protocols,” he said.
Police bosses are under sharp criticism over the incident where police officers in Nairobi lobbed teargas at demonstrators protesting the alarming rise of femicide cases across the country.
Protesters also shared images of live bullets police reportedly fired at the peaceful marchers.
The United States government through its Embassy in Nairobi later came out to condemn the incident reiterating its support for the Kenyan people’s right to express their concerns and call for justice in the face of growing violence against women.
The US slammed the move by police lamenting that the incident occurred on International Human Rights Day, when people around the world are called to reflect on and uphold human rights.
“Regrettable and concerning to see police action against Kenyans exercising their constitutional rights to assemble and protest peacefully,” the statement read in part.
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