Ipoa: Amending Act ‘will licence police to kill at will’

The Independent Police Oversight Authority has described introduction of a contentious clause in the National Police Service Act as granting police officers a blank cheque to commit extra-judicial executions.

Ipoa chairman Macharia Njeru warned the proposed amendment to the Act, introducing a clause to allow police to use their firearms to protect property and deal with suspects escaping from lawful custody would only encourage trigger-happy officers to misuse their firearms.

However, his proposal caused a major clash with some members of the parliamentary committee on National Administration and Security defending the clause, saying it will help in dealing with armed and well known criminals, who are a major threat to police officers.

Njeru argued the police could still rely on stipulations of Schedule Six of the Act, which allows them to use their firearms in the event their lives or that of colleagues are in danger.

“We are afraid the introduction of Section 54 will only give room for extra-judicial killings. If the amendment is passed, Parliament will be giving police additional avenue to use their firearms for extra-judicial killings,” argued Njeru.

His position was supported by a section of MPs, with Timothy Wanyonyi (Westlands) and Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika Town) warning against making the law enforcers trigger-happy through legislation.

The MPs argued that the presence of that clause will negate the work being done to stop abuse of firearms by the police officers.

“It would be dangerous to go this route. Police will simply be encouraged to engage in executions and use of law to defend themselves,” said Wanyonyi.

But Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno said it was necessary to introduce a clause that would ensure known criminals are not spared in a move that would endanger the law enforcers.