Police seal off roads near the Supreme Court in Nairobi, Kenya November 20, 2017. PHOTO/the-star.co.ke]
President Uhuru Kenyatta should move quickly and stop police killings in the country, Amnesty International has said.
According to Amnesty International country director Justus Nyang'aya, the government must now de-escalate inter-communal tensions to reach peace and cohesion in the country.
He said the president should make Kenyans his top priority and protect their rights enshrined in the constitution.
"If Uhuru is to succeed in healing the divisions generated by the polls, he must also ensure justice and accountability for the dozens of Kenyans killed or injured in the violence and as a result of excessive use of force by police that has marred this year’s election cycle," Nyang'aya said.
In a statement on Monday, Nyang’aya said Uhuru's government must protect protesters and ensure their safety during demonstrations.
"While police have a duty to maintain order, protesters must be allowed to freely and peacefully express themselves without fear of being shot at or harmed by the police. In the last days and months, the police have fired indiscriminately at crowds killing or injuring protesters. Kenya’s police have a duty to protect people from violence," Nyang’aya said.
"This election has caused enough bloodshed. No more lives should be needlessly lost due to excessive use of force by the police," he added.