Police officers have become a major threat to people’s lives. A recent exposé by the BBC revealed that officers shot dead young Kenyans for demanding good governance during the Genz protests last year.  

Police were also involved in the abduction of Kenyans deemed to oppose President William Ruto’s administration.  

And if revelations from former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi is anything to go by, the abductions had the blessings of individuals at the pinnacle of power. 

Of major concern to Kenyans is that the perpetrators of police killings go unpunished. Some 104 people were killed while 55 others disappeared at the hands of security officers in 2024, according to a report released yesterday by the Missing Voices coalition. 

Last year recorded the highest number of cases of enforced disappearances, shattering the 2019 record of 38, according to the coalition. Cases of enforced disappearances rose nearly five times from 10 in 2023 to 55. 

June and July were the deadliest months in both 2023 and last year, with Nairobi the hardest hit county for extrajudicial killings, followed by Kiambu and Migori.  

The coalition also revealed that cases of extrajudicial killings are rarely taken to court. 

This means victims of enforced disappearances were neither prosecuted nor allowed to demonstrate their innocence in a court of law.  

And despite the high number of enforced disappearances, no officer has been taken to court and charged with the crimes.  

Most cases arising from protests and forwarded to the chief public prosecutor have either been returned for further investigation or closed, making it difficult to hold police officers to account for public order management violations. 

This calls for a review of the law on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).

Though IPOA files reports of impropriety in police action, it is the same offenders who are supposed to investigate and prosecute their cases.  

IPOA is supposed to ensure that police are accountable to the public in the performance of their functions.  

The agency should be strengthened to ensure law enforcement operates within constitutional and legal boundaries by investigating police misconduct, addressing extrajudicial killings, and monitoring the use of force.