Senators have said they will launch investigations into the allegations of police brutality on members of the public following the August general elections.

Some of the issues to be investigated are brutality against protesters, extra-judicial killings, circumstances under which police have been using live bullets to quell demos, whether dreadlocked individuals who have been captured in police uniforms are officers and circumstances that led to police storming the University of Nairobi and brutalized students.

Both the Jubilee and the opposition senators agree that the police has used excessive force especially on protesters, which has resulted to a number of deaths including six-month-old baby Samantha Pendo, who died due to police brutality in Kisumu in the protests that ensued after President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of the August elections.

According to Baby Pendo’s parents, she was hit on the head by police officers, who stormed their house after they refused to open for fear of being beaten up.

Another child, 9-year-old Stephanie Moraa was also killed by a stray bullet as she played in the balcony of their residential flat in Nairobi’s Mathare estate.

Five people also lost their lives three weeks ago when a peaceful procession to welcome NASA leader Raila Odinga back to the country after a trip in the US turned chaotic.

Senate Minority leader Moses Wetangula said the government ought to investigate the circumstances in which Kenyans have lost their lives in the hands of the police.

“Governments are custodians of public morality and, on account of the deaths the country has witnessed, it should have moved to investigate the circumstances under which Kenyans lost their lives,” Mr Wetang’ula said.

IPOA INVESTIGATES POLICE BRUTALITY AFTER AUGUST ELECTIONS

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has already launched investigations into some of the incidents including the recent killing of seven-year-old Geoffrey Mutinda in Pipeline estate, who was shot dead in unclear circumstances as he played in the balcony of their house in a day of protests and violence in Nairobi’s Eastlands as police moved to stop NASA supporters and their leaders from convening in jacaranda grounds on the same day president Uhuru was being sworn in.

IPOA, which was established to provide for civilian oversight over the work of the Police, has in a statement said that upon conclusion of the investigations, it will make recommendations and forward the files to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for his attention.

IPOA has already finalized investigations into the fatal shooting of baby Stephanie Moraa and has complied a report on the findings and forwarded the investigation findings together with recommendations to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for review and direction.

The oversight authority has also finalized investigations into the allegations of Police brutality on students of the University of Nairobi within the University premises along Lower State House road on 28th September 2017 in which a number of students sustained physical injuries.

IPOA has said that it has submitted its report to the National Police Service Commission for stern disciplinary action against the responsible Commander. Further, the Authority also forwarded the investigation file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for review and direction.