Kenya: Human rights violations by the police persist

The persistence of human rights violations committed by the police makes a mockery of the government’s stated commitment “to retrain, equip and better remunerate police and other security services to ensure they are people-oriented and work efficiently, effectively and fairly,” says the Kenya Human Rights Network in a letter to Christopher Murungaru, Minister of State-National Security and Provincial Administration. "The prevailing culture in the rank and file encourages officers to commit human rights violations and expect no ramifications. This explains the persistence of numerous and serious human rights violations by police officers who enjoy impunity for their actions. To reverse this cycle, the K-HURINET recommends the establishment of a tribunal to hear about the violations committed by the police while demanding that the government heed the advise of the Task Force on Truth Justice and Reconciliation, which recommends the establishment of commission to deal with transitional justice."