Inspector General of Police IG Japheth Koome crashes with Independent Policing Oversight Authority overuse of arms,
IG Japheth Koome had on Friday 16th December 2022 during the fourth memorial for fallen police officers and prison warders called IPOA and civil society busy bodies for pushing for the prosecution of police officers accused of using excessive force or their arms wrongly.
“Officers, we don’t want to hear you’ve been hurt, your hand cut yet you have a gun with you. Count on the IG to stand with you. We have a committed CS. Do not be cowed by the busybodies who keep on calling for the arrest of police officers. Today we are mourning and I don’t see them anywhere,” said IG Japheth Koome.
The IG also noted that the police force will not be intimidated and they are going to discharge their duties as per the constitution of the republic of Kenya which was promulgated in 2010.
Addressing the police officers who had attended the memorial, he also accused the oversight bodies of only speaking when police officers are accused of having committed something wrong but when a police officer is killed or injured, they disappear.
The IG of police and the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior, Kithure Kindiki, vowed to support police officers and to stand with them.
Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki also asked police officers to use their firearms to protect themselves, Kenyans and their properties.
A day later, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority responded to Kindiki and IG Japheth Koome’s remarks.
The police oversight body castigated IG Japheth Koome in a statement by the chairperson of the oversight body, Anne Makori.
The chair, Anne Makori, questioned the shoot-to-kill orders to suspected criminals by the IG of police.
In her statement, she also asked the National Police Service to respect the constitutional roles of all agencies in the criminal justice system.
