Police brutality: Culprits continue killing as victims, families agonise

Police officers keep vigil during Saba Saba protests in Kitengela, on July 7, 2025. [File, Standard] Families of victims of police brutality continue to agonise as some perpetrators walk free and court processes are prolonged, shining a spotlight on the justice system. From high-profile cases of police brutality and custodial deaths to brutal beatings caught on CCTV, the slow pace of judicial processes has left many bereaved families frustrated and questioning whether justice will ever be served. At the heart of this anguish are persistent glaring weaknesses of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the body mandated to investigate police misconduct and ensure accountability. Despite its constitutional mandate, Ipoa has been criticised for conducting sluggish investigations that can take months or even years to conclude, often returning case files multiple times for further probe before recommending prosecutions. Even when IPO completes its investigation and recommends charges, there is often a significant lag before the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) acts on those recommendations, leaving families in limbo. For more than a decade, Kenyans have watched as the courts struggle to keep pace with the flood of cases involving police misconduct, excessive force, and custodial killings. Among the matters currently clogging the courts are some of the most notorious incidents in recent memory, including the killing of blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang, the murder trial of former Pangani police officer Ahmed Rashid, the fatal shootings during the Gen Z protests led by activist Rex Masaai, the killing of hawker Boniface Kariuki by police officer Klinzy Baraza, and the tragic 2017 post-election violence that claimed the life of six-month-old Baby Samantha Pendo. Protesters carry a man injured during clashes. [AFP] Even as the country grapples with new cases, such as the recent fatal shooting of businessman George Gathu Matheri in Karatina, Nyeri County, and the brutal beating of youths in Nandi Hills, justice remains elusive. For Jane Pendo, Baby Samantha's mother, justice has become a mirage shimmering in the distance, always visible, never within reach. "They keep telling us 'next month, next mention, next hearing' but nothing ever happens. The officers who killed my baby are living their lives, working, feeding their families. Meanwhile, I am stuck in this endless cycle of court appearances that lead nowhere. This is not justice, this is torture," Jane stated at Milimani Law Court during one of the mentions of the case. "The same people who are supposed to protect us killed my six-month-old baby. And what has happened? Nothing. Just a postponement of the case. They changed judges, they moved the case from Nairobi to Kisumu, they filed applications and counter-applications. But my daughter is still dead, and no one has been punished. The system is protecting them, not us. How long must we wait?" Seven years after her infant daughter died from injuries inflicted during police operations in Kisumu's Nyalenda estate, the case against four senior police officers remains mired in procedural quicksand. The matter is slated for a mention on January 26, 2026, when the prosecution is expected to confirm whether all evidence has been supplied, still without a trial date. Her anguish epitomises a disturbing pattern emerging across Kenya's courts, where police brutality cases advance at a glacial pace, trapping victims' families in endless mentions, bail hearings, and preliminary applications, while accused officers remain free or continue serving. From the COVID-19 enforcement killings of the Kianjokoma brothers, Benson Njiru Ndwiga and Emmanuel Mutura Ndwiga, who died during the crackdown enforcement in 2021, to the fatal shooting of businessman Matheri in Karatina just days ago, a mounting backlog of police brutality cases is testing the limits of public faith in Kenya's justice system. Six police officers were charged with the murder of the brothers, and proceedings have been active over multiple years, yet the case continues to drag on through the courts. The most recent incident to ignite public fury occurred on January 15, 2026, in Karatina town when businessman Matheri was fatally shot by a police officer after a confrontation. CCTV footage of the incident has drawn widespread condemnation but, like many cases before it, uncertainty rules as investigations and judicial proceedings unfold. Equally disturbing is the January 10, 2026, CCTV footage from Nandi Hills showing police officers brutally beating a group of young men who were playing pool inside a hall. The video, which went viral on social media, shows officers forcing the youths to lie on the floor before beating them with batons and pool sticks, despite the men not having committed any clear crime. Despite promises by Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen that the officers involved would be arrested and sacked, no arrests have been made one week later. Murkomen swiftly condemned the incident, describing the police conduct as barbaric, unacceptable, unconstitutional and illegal. "The government will not tolerate police brutality or misconduct," Murkomen said. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja echoed these sentiments, directing the Police Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) and IPOA to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the incident. "The investigation must be completed quickly and professionally, and appropriate action taken," Kanja said. One week later, no arrests have been made, no officer has been interdicted and no communication has been issued showing that any action has been taken against those involved. Constitutional lawyer Fidel Limo blamed the surge in police brutality cases on Ipoa's failure to act decisively. According to data seen by The Standard, Ipoa has 1,010 registered cases, with only 711 investigated and 171 submitted for prosecution. "They have only submitted 10 per cent of all cases they receive for prosecution," Limo said. Until the justice system delivers, families of police brutality victims will continue to agonise, and perpetrators will continue to walk free.

Police brutality: Culprits continue killing as victims, families agonise

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