Disband DCI over extrajudicial killings, Nyanza bishops demand
Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Bishops from the Nyanza region have called for the disbandment of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) by the government.
In an address to the media on Friday, June 20, 2025, the Nyanza region clerics said the sleuths attached to the DCI have been using the agency to harass and torture Kenyans, hence their call for disbandment.
The accused the directorate of harassment, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings targeting innocent Kenyans.
“The time has come for a body like the DCI should be phased out. It has become a dreaded unit used by those in power to harass Kenyans,” David Kodia, the Chairman of the Nyanza ACK Bishops, said in their joint statement.
The clerics further trained their guns on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), accusing it of failing to undertake its constitutional mandate.
Further, the clerics called on the police to respect human rights, acknowledging that the recent actions had strained their relationship with Kenyans.
“IPOA has failed Kenyans and it is seen as a toothless dog that can’t bite but can talk louder enough to confuse Kenyans that it is working,” they stated.
They also called an end to continued police excesses.
“When it reaches a point when people see the police as enemy number one, then you know that we have lost the nation to lawlessness,” Maseno South Bishop Charles Onginjo stated.
According to the bishops, the recent cases of police brutality, such as the killing of Albert Ojwang, and insensitivity were the driving forces fueling the youth to protest against the officers.
“Please come to terms with the fact that many Kenyans are cursing you every day because of your heartless and callous manner of dealing with the members of the public. This kind of behavior has led to the radicalization of our youth as they resist this totalitarianism and its many manifestations,” they added.
