The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has disclosed that it has concluded investigations into some cases regarding police brutality during the recent Gen Z-led protests.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 4, during a workshop at Nanyuki, Laikipia County, IPOA CEO Elema Halake noted that the files of the concluded investigations have been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for review.
Halake disclosed that the oversight authority recorded 56 deaths and emphasized that IPOA was committed to expediting these cases.
“We are committed to have the cases expedited. We are under a lot of pressure from the public and rightly so. The scope of the investigations is challenging because the incidents happened across the whole country and the resources are not adequate,” Halake remarked.
The IPOA boss, however, stated that many witnesses had not come forward, something that derailed the investigations.
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“Also, we are not getting the full cooperation we need and many witnesses have not come forth to enable us move with speed. Criminal investigations require forensic support and the evidential threshold is very high,” he stated.
At the same time, Halake disclosed that IPOA was conducting a 'risk analysis' in the investigation of an incident where Catherine Wanjeri, a journalist, was injured during the protests.
The CEO noted that the aim of the process was to make recommendations, including having her security enhanced after the journalist reported threats to her life.
Previously, IPOA reported facing a lack of cooperation from senior police officers, which hindered the progress of their investigations.
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