Report: 48 lives lost to police bullets this year

By ALLY JAMAH

At least 48 people lost their lives to police bullets in the last two months alone, as the confrontation between law enforcers and suspected criminals gets bloodier this year.

The latest report by a civil society organisation that monitors police activity indicates officers have killed almost thrice the number of people they killed in the same period last year.

The report by the Independent Medico-Legal Unit says by the end of January and February last year, police had killed 16 people compared to 48 in the same period this year.

Last year, police bullets fell at least 143 people according to the report, with 98 of them allegedly executed, 15 shot to protect life and 30 were executed in unclear circumstances.

The figures were obtained through reports submitted by victims, IMLU’s network of monitors and monitoring the print and electronic media.

Lethal force

This comes even as the National Assembly discusses proposals to amend the National Police Service Act 2011, ostensibly to give police more robust powers to use lethal force in the fight against crime.

“The question that begs attention is if the police have misused the power bestowed on them with regard to the use of lethal force as shown in this report, what happens if they are granted more power to use firearms in ‘protecting property?” posed IMLU Executive Director Peter Kiama.

The numbers could be higher because the report only counted reported cases, with many police killings often happening away from the limelight.

The organisation terms the killings as extra-judicial executions.

In the monthly analysis, January this year saw the killing of 28, followed by February with 14. As at March 3, six executions were recorded.

Of the police killings in the past two months, the report says 40 were summarily executed, four were shot legitimately to protect life while four others were killed in unclear circumstances.

Nairobi County has the highest number of executions recorded between January and March 3 at 32, Nyeri and Migori follow with four each, Nakuru three, Kajiado County two and Kilifi, Kakamega and Nyamira each recorded one.

The monthly report indicates last year’s killings as follows: January (11), February (five), March (six), April (one), May (five), June (11), July (43), August (10), September (13), October (seven), November (nine) and December (14).

July had the highest number of executions.