International

US. slays Kenya police for brutalising protesters (Photos)

Published

8 years ago

May 18, 2016

US. slays Kenya police for brutalising protesters (Photos)

The United States embassy has condemned in clear terms the brute force meted out to protesters by Kenyan security operatives during a demonstration by opponents of the electoral oversight body.

During the protests which saw demonstrators throwing stones at security operatives, police were seen firing tear gas, beating protesters with batons and dispersing the crowd that gathered outside the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

“The United States deplores the excessive use of force by the Kenyan police and the violence around the demonstrations,” U.S. Ambassador Robert Godec said. “We welcome announcements by Kenyan authorities that all reports of the excessive use of force will be investigated.”

Inspector General of Kenya Police Joseph Boinnet condemned what he called “lawlessness” by “rioters” but said an internal enquiry was under way to see if any officers broke the law, the Daily Nation reported on its website. Reuters could not immediately reach officers for comment.

“Police officers have been photographed attacking unarmed and peaceful citizens on the streets of Nairobi and Kisumu. This is utterly unacceptable,” said the Law Society of Kenya, the professional body for the country’s lawyers.

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