The police oversight agency has started investigations into operations of the disbanded police crack unit over alleged extrajudicial killings and disappearances.
The investigation is also targeting the entire National Police Service (NPS) and other special formations within the service following numerous complaints over increased cases of enforced disappearances, abductions and murders.
Consequently, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) has trained its eyes on the recently disbanded Special Service Unit of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other special units within the NPS.
The independent inquiry seeks to unearth the alleged involvement of the unit in the disappearance of Mr Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan and Mr Zaid Sami Kidwai, both from India, and their Kenyan driver, Mr Nicodemus Mwania in July 2022 in Nairobi.
Ipoa Chairperson Anne Makori, in a statement yesterday, raised the alarm over increased extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the country, saying the agency was handling 112 cases of enforced disappearances.
Ms Makori said Ipoa is investigating the incidents to establish police involvement and has appealed to the public to provide any information to support the investigation.
“Ipoa has commenced investigations and audit of the recently disbanded SSU, and other units and/or formations within the NPS to establish the propriety of their operations and level of professionalism,” said Ms Makori.
“Further, Ipoa is keenly investigating NPS action and/or inaction following numerous complaints received of enforced disappearances/abductions/murders. Ipoa will, as a matter of priority, make appropriate recommendations,” she added.
The Ipoa boss said the authority was investigating police operations in which 11 lives were lost, including those of eight police officers in Namariat village in Turkana East.
On the 25 bodies that were found in River Yala, Siaya, Ms Makori said preliminary investigations revealed the nature of injuries sustained or cause of death pointing to the same or similar perpetrators.
The picture emerging from postmortem examinations is head injuries, abdominal and chest injuries, strangulations and drowning as the cause of death for the bodies, she said, adding that DNA profiling of the victims was going on.
In January this year, the authority launched investigations into the discovery of the bodies, which were found in the river on diverse dates last year.
She explained that out of 19 families who had reported their relatives missing, 13 of them vanished from July 2021, and it was highly likely they are among 36 bodies so far retrieved from River Yala.
“Most of the missing persons were last seen within Nairobi, and others were from Kisumu, Embu, Nakuru, Kakamega and Siaya, drawing a conclusion that most of the bodies retrieved from the river are from other counties,” she said.
The victims were found at an advanced state of decomposition and bore torture wounds. Eleven of the bodies had stones tied to them, most likely to weigh them down in the river.
“Ipoa shall initiate an inquiry into cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings and support any tribunal, commission or other initiatives seeking to unravel the cases,” said Ms Makori.
“Ipoa continues to investigate cases where the police are alleged to have engaged in extrajudicial operations, including enforced disappearances and killings. Upon completion of investigations, the authority will publish and publicise its findings and make appropriate recommendations,” said Ms Makori.
