Police: Azimio hired bodies, claimed police killed demonstrators
Inspector General of Police, Japhet Koome, has sensationally alleged the opposition Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance coalition hired dead bodies from mortuaries, recorded their causes of death and claimed they were victims of police brutality in the recent Azimio demonstrations that rocked Kenya for days a little over two weeks ago.
“We’ve seen in the recent past- and very unfortunate- senior members of the society are going to mortuaries, hiring dead bodies, calling media and telling them that they were killed by police officers. How low can some of our leaders sink? Anyway, I wish to take this opportunity to tell fellow Kenyans that as the National Police Service, we have a role to protect life and property. We have a responsibility to ensure this country is secure and safe. And that is a mandate we are going to discharge without fear or favor.
So the propaganda out there will not discourage us. They can continue threatening us, that so and so will go to ICC, to courts. That has no implications at all in terms of our commitment. We have a duty to serve our beautiful country, colleagues. We cannot allow what is happening in the neighboring countries to happen to our country. We’ve no spare country. This was the country we were given by God,” claimed IG Koome.
In late July 2023, Azimio La Umoja held an interdenominational memorial service in honor of victims who lost their lives during the opposition demonstrations. Azimio accused police of using excessive force, leaving protestors either severely injured or dead. The opposition claimed more than 50 people died in the protests held mid-July 2023 and vigils were held across several opposition stronghold counties where police presence was especially heavy during the protests.
Videos emerged of police beating up people during protests and opposition allied Members of Parliament shared photos of bodies in morgues, claiming they had been killed by police. As the police deny these claims, human rights activists maintain several people were killed and had gunshot wounds post-demonstrations.
The United Nations also called for probe into deaths during the demos, expressing concern over the widespread violence and allegations of unnecessary or disproportionate use of force- including fire arms- by police.
“The policing of protests must seek to facilitate peaceful assemblies, and any use of force must be guided by the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination. Firearms should never be used to disperse protests,” read a statement from the United Nations.
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