A section of leaders from Kisumu County Tuesday demanded an apology from Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome over his claims on bodies in mortuaries and linked to police brutality.
The leaders expressed shock by careless and insensitive utterances from Koome, regarding the recent police brutality on Kenyans during the recent anti-government protests.
Led by Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o and Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron, they said the IG must recant his insensitive and barbaric statement in totality.
They said IG had shown he is not even fit to be in the position.
“We join the rest of Kenyans in condemning Koome who instead of apologising to the nation over the disappointing unprofessionalism in the police service, is dancing on the graves of the victims killed by his officers during demonstrations against the high cost of living,” said Nyong’o.
Read: 11 People Killed In Kisumu, Kisii During July Maandamano – Agencies
Nyong’o said Koome’s outburst that his trigger happy officers did not kill people during the protests is shocking despite the fact that the killings in the past few weeks since the protests began are well documented and is known to the whole world.
Nyong’o said it is on record that Kisumu County bore brunt of the police brutality.
He said Koome and the Kenya Kwanza government must stop mocking the families of those killed or maimed during the protests.
Nyong’o said the IG must stop politicising grave security issues like the murder of innocent people, which borders on genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Koome claimed some leaders hired bodies to blame police for the killings which is not true.
Read Also: Kisumu Family Mourns Loss of Two to Police Brutality
The governor said two credible non-state actors- The Law Society of Kenya and Amnesty International have conducted a survey and confirmed that police killed 24 people during the anti-government protests in Kisumu and Kisii counties.
Sixteen of these deaths occurred in Kisumu.
“Many innocent people were pulled from their houses and killed in cold blood. In Kisumu County alone, 107 people assaulted by police officers were treated at different hospitals across the county. Many of them are still in hospital with bullet wounds.”
Nyong’o invited Koome to visit the Jaramogi Teaching and Referral Hospital and mortuary to see for himself and confirm if indeed these are rented bodies.
“One of these patients is a schoolchild shot nine times by Koome’s boys. We invite Koome to visit JOOTRH and study the post mortem reports of those killed during the demonstrations. They had either bullet holes or blunt object (Rungu) trauma.”
“We say No to Police brutality because Luo Lives Matter.”
Oron said they visited those injured by the police and even those who died of police bullets at JOOTRH.
“The whole world saw that, it’s quite unfortunate that a holder of an independent office like the IG would mislead the country that leaders hired dead bodies to paint the police in bad picture.”
He said families are still grieving, majority of those killed are yet to be bury their kins and it is unfortunate that Koome can dance on their graves.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
