Police Oversight Authority to investigate Kisumu shooting

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

In line with its statutory mandate under Section 7 of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority Act, IPOA says it will investigate the circumstances that resulted in the killing of two civilians in Kisumu during riots that rocked parts of the town last Saturday to establish whether lethal force was used lawfully in quelling the violence.

In a statement Tuesday, IPOA added it has already requested for formal reports from the Inspector General of Police, Mr David Kimaiyo, and will study them in addition to independently probing the incident.

The investigation will extend to other parts of the country that are reported to have experienced lawlessness after the Supreme Court ruling and ensuing security operations in affected areas.

IPOA was established to provide for civilian oversight to the work of police including monitoring and investigating policing operations affecting members of the public, receiving and investigating complaints by police officers and members of the public and making recommendations for disciplinary action or prosecution.

The public will be duly informed of the outcome of the investigations.

Elsewhere, Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) says it is shocked by the sudden death of Star Newspaper Reporter Bernard Ochieng Wesonga, who was found dead in his house in the Coastal City of Mombasa on Sunday.

KCA National Chairman William Oloo Janak is therefore calling on the police to swiftly investigate the death of the journalist and to bring those who may be culpable to death, given the suspicious circumstances of his death.

Wesonga’s body was reportedly discovered by his room –mate, Eric Onyango, with blood oozing from his nose and mouth in their Kachonjo Estate in Tudor in Mombasa around 10.am on Sunday.

Janak says Wesonga, a young journalist, was a committed member of KCA and has been one of 20 journalists currently under the association’s journalists’ mentorship project in the Coast Region on capacity building for investigative reporting.

“It would be important for the police to investigate claims that he recently received threats in relation to a story he wrote on corruption. Many journalists have recently faced threats, both related to the just conclude Elections and on corruption and it would be important that the investigations re-assure journalists of their safety and security.”

Meanwhile, the Media Council of Kenya is calling on the police to conduct thorough investigations into the death of the journalist and to bring those who may be responsible for the death to book, owing to the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

“Through our Press Freedom Monitoring portal where incidences that infringe on the freedom of journalists are reported, the Media Council of Kenya has noted that many journalists have recently faced threats, both related to the just-concluded general election and on corruption where many were harassed and attacked in related violence.” Says MCK.

The council is urging the security forces to speed up the investigations so as to assure journalists of their safety and security.

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