Kenyan Human Rights Groups have sued Japhet Koome, the Inspector-General of Police, over the 2017 police killings in Nairobi.
The groups include the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), and Khelef Khalifa.
In their petition, they claimed that after the 2017 presidential election, police used brutal and deadly force to suppress dissent, leaving 33 people dead in the capital.
Koome was then the Nairobi police commander.
“On August 11, the former chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Wafula Chebukati, declared Uhuru Kenyatta as the victor in the presidential poll,” said the Groups.
“Chebukati's announcement triggered protests across Kenya, particularly in Opposition strongholds, as residents cited vote rigging. It didn't take long before the police responded with firearms, batons, tear gas, and water cannons, resulting in the tragic loss of dozens of Kenyan lives. Nairobi was severely hit, with a total of 33 deaths reported.”
The government pathologists confirmed that the deceased died of gunshot wounds.
However, the lawsuit contends that not all dead were on the streets; some were sadly killed in their homes or businesses.
In addition to Koome, the petitioners sued the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Attorney General (AG).
Other interested parties in the case include the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the Independent Forensic Unit (IMLU).
The case will be mentioned on September 28.
The groups said Khalifa sent a letter to IPOA on January 24, 2023, requesting information about the agency's actions after the 2017 police killings.
IPOA delayed its response until April 12, when it responded that it was only investigating 15 cases, not all 33.
However, IPOA has not disclosed the status of the investigation or given a reason for not investigating the remaining 18 deaths.
Additionally, on July 26, 2023, Khalifa wrote to Koome to inquire about the progress of the investigation into the police killing of the remaining 18 people. Like IPOA, Koome delayed its response until August 15.
According to the petition, Koome refused to provide details about the investigation and redirected Khalifa to seek answers from IPOA.
The groups believe that their legal actions will enable them to obtain these records from IPOA and the Inspector General to hold responsible officials accountable.
