Police spokesperson responds to queries over IG Mutyambai’s loud silence
Police Spokesperson Charles Owino has responded to queries over Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai’s continued silence on the question of raising incidents of police brutality.
This after a local daily published a column calling out Mutyambai for his inaction.
The column also questioned the IG’s perceived silence on the question of extra-judicial killings in the country.
“Has the Inspector General of police Hillary Mutyambai gone underground? Is he in deep slumber, or is he practising the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil mantra?” the column read.
“With so many extra-judicial killings and brutalities inflicted on the Wananchi by police officers, we have not seen or heard him address the matter. Is he so unmoved by complaints that he cannot offer an apology to the families of the bereaved or show any remorse?” the column further read.
But in his response, Owino termed the issues raised in the column as an attack on the Inspector General of Police.
This is a very unfortunate attack on the @IG_NPS. As director in charge of Corporate Communication Affairs and Human Rights, I have been addressing a number of issues as alleged on extra judicial killings by Police on his behalf. pic.twitter.com/YtdjTtHs58
— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) June 10, 2020
OFFICER BRUTALLY KILLED
Further, Owino said he has been addressing the issues of extra judicial killings and police brutalities in the past two weeks in his capacity as the spokesperson of police representing the IG.
He also pointed at a recent event where IG Mutyambai accompanied other government officials to address grievances of members of civil society.
“It is not like the IG to shout. He is organized and does his work quietly. The IG is working tirelessly to promote good working relations between the members of the Public and Police officers. Several police officers have been relieved of their duty and arraigned before court after internal disciplinary mechanism,” Owino said.
The police spokesperson further said that there have also been incidents of police officers being killed brutally. However, he pointed out that he has not seen civil society condemning such killings.
“We have lately had cases where police officers have been killed by civilians using machetes. The latest instance being the killing of a 29-year-old police officer by civilians in Lamu yesterday. The officer was attacked without provoking or even attempting to arrest anyone,” Owino said.
“To our surprise, no civil society has condemned this unfortunate incident as if it is a normal incident for a police officer to be killed. Such actions widen conflict between police and criminals and promote panic among police while using their firearms in the course of duty.”