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Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) has raised concern over the deployment of Kenyan police in Haiti to fight criminal gangs who have caused civil unrest in the country since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7, 2021.

The agency said it learnt about the deployment in the media, explaining that it has not been officially engaged on the issue.

Ipoa Commissioner Doreen Muthaura said they are concerned about the welfare of the officers and most importantly their training to be able to carry out the mission.

“Though the National Police Service Act allows the Inspector General to partner regionally or internationally with other services in matters of policing. How this is regulated, once they leave the country for an international mission, is out of Ipoa’s jurisdiction. Our scope is territorial, we are only able to deal with our officers while within our territorial space and under the command of the Inspector General,” Muthaura told National Dialogue Committee during yesterday’s sitting in Bomas.

The agency said it is exploring how to oversight the police when Kenyan officers are deployed for international missions.

Though Ipoa denied the existence of bad blood between them and Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome, the agency disclosed some key areas the IG has impeded its operations.

Authority cited the case where Koome claimed that Azimio la Umoja had hired bodies from morgues to implicate police in killing their supporters during anti-government protests.

According to the agency, some of the victims died from police brutality, adding that in some instances the police used excessive powers unnecessarily.

“When the IG makes claims that bodies have been bought and transferred, Ipoa counters the statements with facts. The fact of the matter is from the forensic angle, police who don’t want to kill, do not shoot above the waist. He shoots below the waist to immobiliae,”

In their submission, Ipoa proposed to be given prosecutorial powers to expedite cases in their domain. Currently, the agency submits its file cases to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions whom they accused of delaying in prosecuting cases involving the police.

“The more people are involved in reviewing of files the more the delay of justice to the police and the victims,” Muthaura noted.