Officers filmed attacking JKUAT student interdicted.
The police officers filmed attacking a JKUAT student have been interdicted.
This follows directiv by the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai that the service’s Internal Affairs Unit investigate officers filmed attacking the student.
Through a statement issued on Tuesday, the IG gave the IAU to submit its recommendations over the officers’ brutal actions within 24 hours.
“Our attention has been drawn to a video clip circulating on social media of officers applying what appears to be excessive force on a JKUAT student on Monday,” Mutyambai said.
The officers had responded to restore order after JKUAT students rioted and blocked the Thika Superhighway.
A huge traffic snarl-up was witnessed along the Thika Superhighway following JKUAT students’ protests on Monday, November 11, 2019.
A huge traffic snarl-up was witnessed along the Thika Superhighway following JKUAT students’ protests on Monday, November 11, 2019.
The students had engaged Juja police in running battles for two hours during which motorists could not pass through the town.
The learners accused the law enforcers of not protecting them from criminals. They claimed that knife-wielding criminals waylay them from as early as 6pm and rob them of cash, phones and laptops.
The university was closed via a memo from the acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of academic affairs.
The Jomo Kenyatta Students’ Association said through president Clinton Osoro and secretary-general Bruce Akach that criminals attacked two students a fortnight ago, leaving them with deep knife wounds.
The IG warned that police action should never be punitive and should instead focus on maintenance of law and order and processing offenders to court.
“Officers have been trained on the need to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, and that, use of force must be legal and of necessity to the needs of justice; it must be applied to the extent that it remains proportionate to the gravity of the offence and with full accountability,” the IG said.