Lawyers blast IPOA over slow investigations into extrajudicial killings

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has faulted the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) for its sluggish handling of police brutality cases, warning that such delays could be perceived as a neglect of duty.

Their remarks follow the airing of the BBC documentary ‘Blood Parliament’ and the recent killings in Angata Barrikoi on Monday, April 28.

In a statement, LSK President Faith Odhiambo stated: “IPOA has overstretched the grace and patience of the Kenyan public, and we hereby put the Authority on notice that they run the risk of being liable for refusal to act in accordance with their mandate.”

According to her, IPOA and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) should prioritise investigations into the 60 confirmed deaths—and any unreported incidents—linked to the anti-Finance Bill protests of June 2024.

The society also urged the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to compel Inspector General  of Police Douglas Kanja to investigate officers identified in the BBC documentary, as well as those whose firearms are suspected to have been used to shoot protesters who breached the Parliament Building on June 25, 2024.

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In addition, they demanded an inquiry into the Angata Barrikoi clash, where police allegedly shot and killed five people protesting an alleged attempt to dispossess them of their land.

Warning that the rising number of civilian deaths caused by armed state security agents poses a threat to the Right to Life, an entitlement guaranteed to all Kenyans under the Constitution.