Nairobi — The Independent Medico-Legal Unit, Kenyan-based rights group, now wants the immediate suspension and investigation of the newly promoted Nakuru County Commander Peter Mwanzo over the recent execution of four men in Nakuru as the government intensifies its crackdown on criminal gangs.
Following the killing, Mwanzo claimed that the four were part of the "Confirm" gang that had been earmarked earlier by security agencies and blamed for a spate of violent crimes including the murder of various people, mostly women, in Nakuru.
The lobby wants Mwanzo to be brought to justice over what it termed his "responsibility in these executions including the ones that have happened in other jurisdictions where he has been in command."
"It is not lost on us that the execution of the 4 has happened a few weeks after he assumed office, and less than two months after similar executions happened in his immediate former jurisdiction," Peter Kiama, the executive Director of IMLU said Wednesday.
Mwanzo appealed to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) to undertake thorough investigations into the killings.
He further called for the immediate suspension and prosecution of police officers suspected of committing the execution.
This call comes a day after the post-mortem report indicated that the victims were shot at close range as opposed to the police reports that the victims were killed by security personnel in self-defense.
According to Kiama, gunshot wounds were identified on the head, chest, and abdomen of the victims.
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He added that the reports showed that the victims were shot standing in an upright position and the other two were kneeling noting that the gun's nasal was faced downwards.
"Three were shot from behind and one from the side further examination of the bodies showed that the bodies were dragged on the ground which implies that the place where they were collected was a secondary crime scene," Kiama stated.
Kiama said that there was no evidence of defensive wounds on the bodies.
He noted that witness accounts and the forensic findings clearly point to what he described "a case of cold-blooded murder by police officers."
Kiama went forward to say that summary execution by the police demonstrates a failure by the government to respect the rule of law and the right to life.
"The executions are a gross violation of human rights including the right to life as prescribed under Article 26, right to a fair trial for suspected criminals under Article 50 (1), protection from inhumane and degrading treatment under Article 29 (f), and other incidental rights that extend to family members and the communities where the alleged criminals reside," he said.
The IMLU Executive Director said that the lobby documented a total of 115 cases of police killings in 2020 and 2021.
"The 2021 police killings happened in 59 police stations across 25 counties, meaning the practice is widespread," he said.
