A group of heavily-armed terrorists last weekend attacked a political rally being addressed by opposition leaders at the Jeevanjee Gardens in the heart of Nairobi’s Central Business District.
The attack continued for hours without police intervention till the terrorists disappeared, taking with them scores of hostages.
According to eye-witness accounts, some of the raiders were in full police uniform and were ferried to the scene in Kenya Police vehicles. Although some of the attackers were in plain clothes and had their faces hidden behind masks, they were in boots similar to those worn by Administration Police Service officers. They also appeared to be using the standard firearms issued to Kenya Police officers.
CCTV footage, as well as cellphone pictures widely shared on social media, clearly identified some of the attackers and also captured service number tags of those in uniform.
In the immediate aftermath of the brazen terror raid, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen strongly condemned the attack, vowing that no stone would be left unturned in efforts to catch and punish the perpetrators.
He, however, accused opposition politicians of holding public rallies and processions without securing permission from the police. He said that the government would crack down hard on politicians out to spread chaos and anarchy under the guise of freedom of movement and assembly.
He did not explain why it was only opposition rallies that required police permission, while gatherings convened by pro-government politicians continued without hindrance.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja also condemned the attack, saying that investigations were underway to ensure that the assailants faced the full force of the law. Mr Kanja promised to give audience to opposition leaders who sought to lodge directly with him complaints over the violence and intimidation they were facing. However, he seemed to have disappeared through a backdoor when the politicians turned up at the National Police Service headquarters.
The issue of attacks on opposition rallies and possible involvement of police officers also featured on a television talk show with panellists that included the Director of the National Communications Centre Charles Owino, Independent Policing Oversight Authority Director Elema Halake and National Police Service Spokesman Michael Muchiri.
While all condemned the attacks and vowed action, they were hard-pressed on apparent lack of progress on the promised investigations. Mr Owino, who is also a former police spokesman, and Mr Muchiri, both attributed the glaring lack of security response in the midst of the terror attack to the fact that no formal complaint had been filed. They insisted that police do not respond to rumours, social media posts or press statements, but only to official reports made at police stations.
While investigations had subsequently been launched, Mr Owino said, there was little progress as the opposition leaders who were apparent targets of the attack had ignored requests to file formal complaints at police stations.
On the issue of police officers apparently aiding and abetting the terror attack, Mr Muchiri responded that not all people wielding weapons, dressed in police uniforms and riding in police cars were police officers. In such a situation, he said, there was no need to launch investigations into possible police collusion with terrorists as there was no proof that those captured on camera were serving officers.
Also, he said, those directly identified and named by witnesses or captured on camera could not be investigated or arrested because no official complaints had been filed and statements recorded.
Those who fell to the terrorist bullets or were reportedly abducted would also be expected to report to police stations before investigations could commence, he added.
Mr Muchiri also said that cases of police misconduct would be handled by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority as the police cannot investigate themselves. He deflected questions on the role of the Police Internal Affairs Unit, which had been directly tasked by IG Kanja to swiftly investigate officers allegedly involved in such activities.
For his part, Mr Halake said that rapid response teams from Ipoa had been immediately dispatched to Jeevanjee Gardens, as well as other venues where police officers allegedly teamed up with terrorists and hired goons to disrupt opposition rallies. No arrests had been made, however, as investigations on such matters were incredibly complex and could not be rushed to satisfy the public hunger for blood. In instances where officers involved had been directly mentioned by name or clearly captured on camera, Mr Halake echoed Mr Muchiri and Mr Owino, saying that official reports must first be filed before any action was taken.
Mr Gaitho, an independent journalist, is former NMG Managing Editor for Special Projects. [email protected]
