We need policing, not vigilantism in terror war

Reports of a police death squad pursuing the war against terrorism threats by extra-legal – and almost certainly illegal – means are cause for concern. While this media house fully supports the use of robust measures to wipe out terrorists and other criminals in our midst, we have always insisted that these be carried out with respect for the law and a degree of oversight and accountability.

This is clear: Secret teams operating on the orders of unknown officers or officials and answering to no one are a threat to the safety of all Kenyans. The Kenya Police certainly know this, which is why when they were accused of using such teams last week to dispatch 18 suspects, 13 of them in the last six months alone, they denied the claims and dismissed them as “outrageous”. But their known involvement in many of the cases, like the shootings of Kassim Omolo Otieno and Salim Mohammed Nero last week, suggests they are being economical with the truth. Witnesses and families of the dead say the suspects were arrested without a fight. One was handcuffed, the other begged for his life: both were executed. Whether there was credible evidence of terror-related activity against both or not, we may never really know now.