Treat all extrajudicial killing cases seriously

A consortium of organisations pushing for the ending of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, said at least 107 Kenyans were killed by police in 2019 alone. In 2021, there were 219 police killings and enforced disappearances. [iStockphoto]

Police have done what many people would not have fathomed only weeks ago. Only days after the president directed that the Special Service Unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations - accused of being behind the disappearance of two Indians and a Kenyan on July 23 - be disbanded, detectives appear to be making headway in their investigations into the killing of the trio.

They have not only arrested some suspects but also claim to have recovered crucial pieces of evidence in a matter of days.

Such determination to unearth the truth is unusual in the police service, especially in cases of extrajudicial killings.

The swift, albeit belated, action by the police confirms once again that we have world-class security personnel. But the truth of the matter is that any shred of evidence pertaining to the murder of the three men would still be buried deep in the Aberdare forest had the president not intervened.

Unfortunately, not all victims of forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are lucky to have worked for the presidential campaign team of Dr William Ruto - the man who eventually carried the day in the August 9 elections.

For that reason, the killers of scores of people fished out of Yala River early this year and the many others illegally executed in the anti-terrorism war will never be found perhaps unless the president issues a similar firm directive.

A report by Missing Voices, a consortium of organisations pushing for the ending of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, said at least 107 Kenyans were killed by police in 2019 alone. In 2021, there were 219 police killings and enforced disappearances. Kenyans want to know who exactly killed these people. They want them punished.

They shouldn't wait for the president to ask them to do the right thing. In any case, the president assured them that his administration wouldn't interfere with their operations.

It is time for police to rise up and be counted, including by outing the bloodthirsty rogues in their midst.