The State-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has called for the immediate suspension and arrest of police officers who shot, injured and killed five people during a protest in a 6,000-acre land dispute in Angata Barikoi, Kilgoris, on April 28.
The Commission condemned the use of live bullets by General Service Unit (GSU) and Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) officers, terming it a gross violation of constitutional rights, including the right to life, dignity, and peaceful assembly.
It stressed that the shootings were unlawful, especially as they occurred despite a court order barring any interference with the disputed land.
“We strongly condemn the tragic and unacceptable loss of life and injuries sustained by civilians and police in Angata Barikoi, Kilgoris, Narok County, on Monday, April 28, 2025. The reported events strongly suggest a failure to adhere to these principles of necessity and proportionality, indicating an unlawful use of lethal force,” said Dr Raymond Nyeris, KNCHR Vice Chairperson.
It also demanded that the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja immediately suspend the officers involved and conduct an internal review of the command decisions that led to the deadly deployment.
“we are calling on the Inspector General of the National Police Service to Immediately interdict all officers involved in the shooting incident pending the conclusion of investigations by IPOA, reinforce strict adherence to the Constitution and the National Police Service Act, particularly the provisions on the use of force and firearms (Sixth Schedule), among all police officers through mandatory retraining and clear directives and Publicly commit to holding accountable any officer found to have used excessive or unlawful force,” he said.
In addition, the Commission asked the Ministry of Interior to take disciplinary action against any officials who acted in defiance of the court order and contributed to the escalation.
It also called on the National Land Commission (NLC) to investigate the legal status of the contested land and on the Judiciary to fast-track the case.
“We are calling unto the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior and National Administration to take appropriate administrative action against any official found to have acted unlawfully or contributed to the escalation of the conflict and to facilitate dialogue between the affected community, county government, and relevant national government agencies to de-escalate tensions and seek peaceful solutions,” he said.
KNCHR urged the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to launch a thorough and impartial investigation into the conduct of the officers involved and called on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to swiftly act on any findings of criminal culpability.
“We call on the IPOA to conduct immediate, thorough, impartial, and independent investigations into the circumstances surrounding the killings and injuries in Angata Barikoi, focusing specifically on the use of force and firearms by the involved GSU and RDU officers,” he said.
“We also want them to expedite the investigation process and make public its findings and recommendations for disciplinary action and/or criminal prosecution,” he added.
Further Dr Nyeris called on the judiciary to uphold the rule of law and ensure that all parties, including government agencies, respect and adhere to Court orders.
At the same time, Amnesty International Executive Director, Irungu Houghton termed the deaths at Narok as regrettable noting that the locals who were protesting have a constitutional right to picket and should not have been killed in the process of doing so.
He also faulted the police officers for not following the Standard Operations Procedure that guides their activities during protests which mainly focus on de-escalating situations and condemn the use of disproportionate and excessive force in such situations.
“When there is a loss of life, as is the case in Narok, there are procedures that the police should follow. The weapons that were used in the operations in Narok yesterday should be surrendered to the IPOA,” Mr Houghton said.
He also urged the state to hand over the commanding officers who gave orders on how the situation should be managed to IPOA and help with the identification of the officers who shot at the protestors in Narok.
