The Police Reforms Working Group Kenya (PRWG-K) has strongly condemned what it describes as widespread state violence, police brutality, voter intimidation and targeted attacks on journalists during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, warning that the incidents pose a serious threat to Kenya’s democracy.
In a statement, the coalition of civil society organisations alleged that heavily armed, hooded and masked individuals operating alongside suspected plainclothes police officers disrupted polling stations by firing live bullets into the air, lobbing tear gas, arresting human rights observers and assaulting journalists.
Despite the violence, PRWG-K commended Ol Kalou residents for turning out in large numbers to vote, describing their resilience as a demonstration of Kenya’s enduring democratic spirit.
The group also condemned attempts to disrupt voting through intimidation and violence, arguing that deploying unidentified armed individuals in state security vehicles undermines police accountability and promotes impunity.
While acknowledging the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for managing election-day logistics under difficult conditions, PRWG-K faulted the commission for allegedly failing to address pre-election malpractices, including voter bribery, violence, hate speech and corruption.
Journalists targeted
The rights group said several journalists were assaulted while covering the by-election.
Among those named was The Star photojournalist Enos Teche, who was allegedly attacked by masked armed men outside St. Joseph’s Catholic Comprehensive School. According to PRWG-K, the assailants fired shots into the air, used tear gas, assaulted him and confiscated his camera equipment.
The organisation also alleged that NTV cameraman George Kieru was beaten, tased and robbed of his camera, while Nation Media Group journalist Brygettes Ngana was assaulted by suspected plainclothes officers who seized her team’s equipment.
PRWG-K further claimed that an unnamed female journalist was held at gunpoint before her mobile phone was confiscated, describing the attacks as a deliberate attempt to suppress independent media coverage and shield electoral malpractice from public scrutiny.
Alleged constitutional violations
The organisation argued that the alleged assaults violated Article 34 of the Constitution, which guarantees media freedom, as well as Articles 38 and 81, which provide for free, fair and violence-free elections.
It further alleged that the deployment of masked and unidentified officers contravened the National Police Service Act, while the assaults and confiscation of journalists’ equipment could amount to criminal offences under the Penal Code.
The group also accused state officials of violating the Public Officer Ethics Act and the Election Offences Act by allegedly using public resources and security agencies for partisan political purposes.
Observer’s arrest
PRWG-K also criticised the arrest of human rights defender Ademba Allans, who it said was detained while observing the election. Although he has since been released on police bail, the group claimed police retained his phone and camera, hampering his election monitoring work.
The organisation called for immediate action, urging the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible for attacking journalists and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate commanders who authorised the deployment of masked and plainclothes officers.
The National Police Service (NPS) should recover and return all confiscated media equipment and end the alleged harassment of journalists and election observers and the IEBC and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to investigate and prosecute election-related offences under the Election Offences Act.
PRWG-K warned that the increasing use of masked security personnel, alleged politicisation of law enforcement and attacks on the media risk undermining public confidence in elections and weakening Kenya’s democratic institutions.
The allegations contained in the statement had not been independently verified, and the National Police Service, IEBC and other agencies named had not publicly responded to the claims at the time of the statement.
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