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Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome was yesterday on a collision course with Azimio politicians and human rights defenders after he sensationally claimed some senior leaders were hiring bodies from mortuaries to create the impression of police brutality in crackdowns against protesters.

Speaking at the National Police Service College in Kiganjo, Nyeri yesterday, Koome claimed, without providing any proof, that the politicians had been parading bodies to implicate police as being behind killings of protesters.

The police boss claimed the leaders conspired with rogue morgue attendants to take pictures of bodies, after which they post them on social media platforms, purporting them to be victims of police shootings.

His sentiments contradict Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki who barely two weeks ago said they had established that licensed and unlicensed civilian firearms supplied by the organisers of the protests were used to kill or injure civilians and security personnel, and that the blame was then shifted to security officers.

“It is so unfortunate that some senior members of the society go to the mortuary hiring dead bodies, calling the media and telling them that these people were killed by the police,” Koome said.
“People who died of some illness; people who died maybe of an accident or other causes, they (politicians) take photographs of such bodies and blame the police. We are not in the business of being on the defensive side.

We cannot respond to busybodies because our mandate is to defend the country.”
Koome further commended the officers for their actions during the anti-government protests, saying police upheld peace during that period. The claims were, however, condemned by some Kenyans, some of whom called for his resignation.

Among those identified as police brutality victims are two brothers from Kisumu’s Nyalenda estate — Brian Oniang’o, 22, and his brother William Amulele, 24, — both who died while undergoing treatment at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Hospital’s intensive care unit.

The doctors said Oniang’o had a cracked skull while his brother Amulele had a broken neck and cracked skull.
Azimio leaders, various institutions and a section of Kenyans yesterday condemned the police boss for the remarks.
Azimio leader, Raila Odinga said it is disappointing to hear Koome make such statements, yet bodies had bullet wounds and death certificates confirm the cause of deaths.

“I do not know which world he lives in because the bodies we have been burying have bullet wounds on them and death certificates confirming the cause of deaths,” Raila said in Nairobi.

“In one case, the neck was chopped off in Sondu, another was a victim of arrow attack so these are real deaths of human beings killed by Koome’s goons masquerading as police officers,” the Azimio leader said.

He said Azimio can confirm that the police killed and wounded many Kenyans, and also warned that they will do whatever it takes to ensure justice for the victims and that perpetrators of these crimes pay.
“We continue to extend our sincere heartfelt condolences to families who lost loved ones and those who were injured. We thank all those who have contributed to the benevolence fund that has enabled us to extend some little help to victims and their families,” Raila said.

Azimio, he said, is still in the process of gathering data on victims both the dead and the wounded.
“We appeal to all people of goodwill to continue contributing to the fund, in solidarity with our quest for a free, just and fair country that is governed in line with the Constitution and puts a high premium on the lives and rights of citizens. If Kenya was governed by the rule of law,” Raila stated.
Bullet wounds
Raila had earlier termed the alleged police brutality in Nyanza during anti-government demonstrations as ethnic profiling and cleansing.

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Eric Theuri and Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) chair Roseline Odede described Koome’s claims as both laughable and sarcastic.
“Hopefully, the IG was speaking with a tongue-in-cheek. But if what we are seeing is what he said and believes in, then Kenya is on a dangerous path,” said Theuri.

Also to cast aspersions on Koome’s assertions were Haki Africa’s Khalid Hassan and Irungu Houghton of Amnesty International.

Human rights officials have accused police of extrajudicial killings during the recent protests against high cost of living and new Finance Act, 2023. For instance, at least 11 people were killed in Kisumu and Kisii counties during the anti-government demonstrations last month, according to Amnesty International in conjunction with the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Kenya Medical Association (KMA).

The three organisations said they visited Kisumu and Kisii counties between July 20 and 30.
“We are saddened to report that preliminary investigations confirm that at least 11 people were killed, most suffering bullet wounds and a few cases of blunt-force trauma,” they said.

The report’s findings also revealed that during the period, 107 police assault cases were recorded in the two regions, with 47 of these being gunshot related.

In Kisumu’s Nyalenda slums, residents have narrated how police officers stormed their houses on July 20, 2023 and terrorised them for hours.

By the end of their operation, several residents were left nursing bullet injuries.
However, despite these reports of police actions that have led to deaths and serious injuries, CS Kindiki, Interior PS Raymond Omollo and Koome have maintained that police acted professionally and have praised the police “for the good job done” during the protests.

President William Ruto has also instead told the Azimio leaders they owed Kenyans an apology over the protests that led to deaths and injuries.