Government spokesman Eric Kiraithe.[Photo/Nation]
Officers in the police service during their training are provided with confines within which they can invoke the use of firearms as bullets when risky circumstance prevail but in recent days there have been major concerns about the conduct of the law enforcers in public protests.Government spokesman Eric Kiraithe has made admissions that are rare on the much-condemned killings and harm on citizens taking part in demonstrations since the announcement of the August 8 polls results and its nullification.According to Mr Kiraithe, it is admissible that some of the killings are politically instigated and are criminal such that they cannot be subjected to a discussion between affected parties and human rights advocacy bodies.Speaking during an interview on Radio Citizen on Thursday 19, during a morning show, Mr Kiraithe said there were some officers with misconduct however much difficult it may have been for them to manage crowds during protests.He said there were disciplinary actions being taken on numerous police officers but such measures were not being brought to the attention of the public as it would appear the system is, in his words, very dirty."There are officers that have been subjected to disciplinary measures within the service but it is not made public. Even when you clean your house, you don't take the dirt into the view of the whole public because people will think you are very dirty," said Mr Kiraithe.Human rights organizations have in the recent past been on the wrong side of the government after releasing reports implicating police officers in killing and abject use of excessive force in handling protestors.Mr Kiraithe however challenged the organizations not to only look at rights of civilians in protests but also consider the fact that property owners and police are equally human being with rights that require protection.
He cited cases of attacks on IEBC staff undergoing training in parts of Nyanza region counties bashing rights defenders for being silent on such cases and incidences where police have lost lives.He said through the independent police oversight authority (IPOA) there were 50 officers who have been taken to court in the last three years.
NASA leaders have vowed to ensure the Thursday repeat polls do not succeed in the country and have set Wednesday as then day for their protests to get to their peak.