Group defends Kenya Police against extra-judicial killings claim

NAIROBI: A civil society organisation has dismissed a recent report that accused police of extra-judicial killings.

Kenya Citizens Coalition (KCC) says the report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) does not paint the complete picture as it only picks out isolated cases on the said executions and disappearances.

Convener Betty Waitherero also took issue with the report's alienation of the Somali community.

She added: "There is no arguing that we have rogue officers, but again this is just a small group. Why would the organisation want to destroy the entire security system that has kept Kenyans safe all this time? Whose interest are they advancing?" Waitherero said.

She added: "Extremists are just a small number of people. A majority of Muslims are actually on the front line in the war against terrorism."

The report had also painted North Eastern as the most insecure part of Kenya. However, Waitherero said the region is safer and the local community friendlier than alleged.

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Mr George Wachira, from Terror Victims Support Initiative, termed the report as a threat to police work as it only picked out alleged victims.

"The report also instils fear in police officers by branding them killers even when the situation warranted the action they took," said Wachira.

HRW said plainclothes officers would pick victims without identifying themselves and most of them are never seen again or are later found dead.

The report urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to form a committee to look into cases of alleged extra-judicial killings and disappearances.