The Nation (Nairobi)

Kenya: Police Have Rights Too

5 July 2009


editorial

Nairobi — It is simply amazing how quiet some otherwise vocal human rights groups keep whenever the police enforce the law by stopping gangsters who have made life hell for innocent Kenyans.

In theory, it makes sense for the public to expect that the police should apprehend such criminal suspects and subject them to due process, but in practice, that can be difficult especially in a situation when the criminals intend to use deadly force.

When police break up a criminal cartel which has been targeting our children by holding them hostage for ransom, one would expect someone to praise them for safeguarding the human rights of those victims.

In a perfect world, everyone should have his or day in court, and no one can excuse extrajudicial executions.

But as long as criminals are prepared to use deadly force in pursuance of their nefarious deed, then the police have a duty to defend themselves. We cannot eat our cake and have it too.

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Author: gakurahia
Tue Jul 7 06:31:12 2009

Police should not resort to killing as a first option. The need is so strong in Kenya that it is common to accuse somebody of a crime and have a mob kill him. This need to murder each other is a direct result of people living outside the law and seeking to use the law of the Jungle. The present Kenya is a primitive society that is on a regression mode since the people who should seek enforce civilized law are the culprits causing mayhem by following orders from superiors whose objective is not for a stable society, but rather a difunctional one where they can continue to raid the National wealth without being questioned because of the low expectations laid down for politician. This article shows a level of ignorance beyound comprehension and I can only surmise that the write is part of the spokes of wheel of corruption churning its filth in the Kenyan society today.


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