Nyeri — Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has accused the opposition Azimio Coalition of hiring bodies from morgues in an attempt to stir up anger against the police.
Koome who spoke during a visit to Kiganjo Police Training College defended the National Police Service (NPS) against accusations of brutality and murder of unarmed opposition protesters contesting death figures blamed on the police as fictitious.
"I want to say that our officers are great protectors of human rights. We have intelligence that these politicians are hiring bodies from morgues and taking pictures which are circulated through social," he said on Tuesday.
Koome termed the alleged hiring of bodies as part of a propaganda war designed to paint the police in bad light and demoralize police officers.
"This is aimed at demoralizing our officers and also portraying my officers in bad right in the international arena," the IG said.
His remarks came weeks after Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma (Azimio) published photos of bodies lying in a morgue.
Kaluma claimed police had dragged eighteen civilians from their homes and murdered them.
"Kenya Police raided Nyalenda Estate in Kisumu in the night of 7th July, 2023, pulled these citizens from their houses, brutalized and shot dead 18 of them and left several injured," the lawmaker alleged.
"These are bodies of 11 lying at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital," he tweeted in a claim that is yet to be verified.
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Kaluma's assertion came even as the Raila Odinga-led coalition accused the State of ordering officials not to report deaths linked to police.
Destabilization
Koome however vowed continued vigilance by NPS in discharge of its mandate of protecting Kenyans .
"I want to tell Kenyans that we will continue to protect their lives and properties. Those going around peddling propaganda can do so but we will not allow anyone to disturb peace of this nation," he said alluding to opposition protests which government has termed as anti-democratic.
Koome said opposition protests that have turned into destructive riots run the risk of destabilizing the country if left unchecked.
"We know what is going on other countries and we will cannot allow the county to go that way. Whoever wants to demonstrate can do so but I can assure you that we will use maximum force in cases of destruction of properties: that is my promise," he said.
He rubbished claims of brutality as untrue even as he called for "effective" use of firearms to quell riots saying officers had sustained injuries while battling protesters in some cases
"Do you seriously think that the gun they are provided with is a walking stick?" Koome posed.
The Inspector General was at Kiganjo to launch a six-week training for officers promoted to the rank of Officer Commanding Police Station.
