Kisumu, Nairobi, and Mombasa lead in police abuses as 42 per cent of Kenyans report brutality
Forty-two per cent of Kenyans have suffered brutality at the hands of police officers between 2022 and Last year.
The shocking police excess were revealed through a survey by the International Justice Mission (IJM), indicating that abuse of power by the Police is still a thorn in the flesh despite constitutional reforms that have been in place.
The report by IJM indicates that corruption and extortion were the most common forms of maltreatment, affecting 55.8 per cent of victims, followed closely by harassment at 54.7 per cent.
Other abuses included arbitrary arrests, physical assault, and fatal violence.
According to the study, men bore the brunt of the violations, accounting for 61.4 per cent of reported abuses, with urban residents being overwhelmingly targeted, three out of every four victims.
The report points out Kisumu as the epicenter of police abuses over the study period, registering the highest prevalence across all levels of severity, followed closely by Nairobi and Mombasa.
Young adults, especially those aged 25 to 34, were the most frequent targets, while people with higher levels of education were paradoxically more exposed than their less-educated counterparts.
Speaking during the release of the report on the study, IJM Country Director Vincent Chahale called on the National Police Service to improve training of officers on respect for human rights.
“This report speaks to us on the importance of professionalizing the police service, and this begins with the recruitment process that is likely to start in the next few days. There is a need for consultations among stakeholders and incorporation of human rights and the rule of law in the police training curriculum,” Vincent stated.
On her part, Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo called upon police to ensure accountability as she added that the study paints a grim picture of the reality.
“This is a reality of what is happening in the country. It is difficult to even see those who have been arrested because of the tricks they use. Some of them do not even record those who have been arrested in the Occurrence Book since they do not want the judiciary to catch up with them,” she said.
