Police dismiss claims of killing people in polls tension

Police officers patrol Kibra streets in Nairobi on August 12, 2017 during protests by residents. Kenya police killed close to 50 people in Nairobi in the aftermath of the August 8 poll, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch research shows. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Police admits to killing six people in Nairobi and Kisumu between Friday and Saturday.
  • Furthermore, police will crackdown on those inciting people to violence through social media.

The National Police Service has denied claims made by Nasa leaders of killing civilians during post-vote protests.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page and appended by spokesperson George Kinoti, it termed the allegations that police officers have killed "100 persons" as false.

"The National Police Service takes great exception to untruthful allegations made by some Nasa politicians to the effect that the Police are responsible for killing 100 persons and hiding the corpses in body bags.

"....these allegations are unfounded and have no basis in fact and are clearly aimed at escalating tensions in the country," the statement read.

ELECTIONS

There have been protests in various parts of the country since Friday after the electoral commission declared Mr Uhuru Kenyatta the winner of the presidential race.

But Nasa leaders and their supporters strongly disputed the outcome.

President-elect Kenyatta, during the announcement at Bomas of Kenya, urged Kenyans to foster peace.

CRIMINALS

However, Police admits to killing six people in Nairobi and Kisumu between Friday and Saturday.

"In the past two days, we are aware of six fatalities in which criminals armed and acting with deadly intent attacked police officers attempting to effect arrest, resulting in fatal neutralisation of the attackers."

According to the statement, this is the breakdown of the fatalities:

"In Nairobi's Ruaraka, two criminals were shot dead while breaking into a supermarket at Kasabuni.

BURGLARS

When challenged to surrender, they attacked the law enforcement officers with machetes with an intent to harm them.

The third one was in Starehe, Nairobi, where there was a group of 25 people armed with assorted crude weapons breaking into private houses and who menacingly challenged and charged at police officers.

The fourth and fifth criminals were fatally neutralised after a gang of six broke into a shop in Kariobangi, Nairobi.

ROAD BLOCKED

As police pursued them, they fired at the police officers who fired back in defence.

The sixth fatality occurred in Kisumu when a criminal was shot after a large riotous mob blocked Dago-Kiboswa road and barricaded it with bonfires and stones and attacked motorists and pedestrians.

The police officers attempting to effect arrest were also attacked," the statement adds.

GIRL KILLED

On the death of the nine-year-old girl named Stephanie Moraa who was shot dead in Mathare North Area 2 on Saturday, Police said the situation is "sad and unfortunate", saying she was killed by unknown people.

"She had gone out to play with other kids, and then I was called from the house that my kid had been shot," her mother, Damacline Marube, said, calling for justice.

INVESTIGATION

The Service also highlights an incident in Korogocho where the dead body of a man was found on the roadside in unclear circumstances.

"In the last two incidences, we have instituted investigations with a view to establishing authors of the crimes."

Furthermore, police will crackdown on people exploiting social media propagate incitement to violence.

PEACE

More importantly, according to the statement, the Joseph Boinnet-led service is open to accountability and scrutiny and officers are also conducting their duties professionally and legally.

The agency agitates to peace.

"We urge members of the public to stand for peace.

"Our work is to serve and defend but all Kenyans have a duty to report the presence of any police officer who may have breached the law in any way."

Additional reporting by Brian Moseti