Police dismiss Human Rights Watch report, term it populist

By CYRUS OMBATI

Kenya: Police headquarters termed the Human Rights Watch (HRW) as populist and generally out to cause unnecessary ‘tensions’ and attention.

Acting police spokesman Charles Owino said the report did not name a single case of an individual claiming he was tortured, beaten up or raped in the said period.

“I find it too pedestrian because it is just giving stories. We achieved a lot in the operations and it is the duty of police to ensure there is law and order in any society,” he said.

Owino said police averted close to 100 planned terror attacks in the operations. He said some of the detained suspects provided crucial information that helped to prevent the attacks.

He added police were guided by various operational manuals to conduct the exercise in the cited places.

Owino said it was not true only refugees were arrested or detained in the period, arguing some of them were non-Somalis who were involved in terror activities. He said some of those arrested were not of Somali origin.