PRESS STATEMENT

TO ALL EDITORS,

The Police Reforms Working Group has taken note of a documentary aired on Citizen TV on April 18th 2021 christened “Guns Galore”. The exposé revealed how rogue police officers promote crime by hiring their police operating gears: guns, uniforms, bulletproof vests, and handcuffs to criminals for as low as Ksh 1000.

The Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG-K) strongly condemns these criminal activities within the security sector, which undoubtedly degrade safety and security across the country.

Indeed, according to various reports by the Internal Affairs Unit and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority continue to reveal police involvement in criminal activities.

We, therefore, call on:

1. The Administration and National Security Committee of the National Assembly to conduct a public inquiry into the matter of police criminality highlighted in the expose;

2. The Internal Affairs Unit to immediately conduct thorough and impartial investigations of the alleged police misconduct with a view of bringing the culprits to book;

3. The Inspector-General of Police to conduct an independent national audit of police armoury system of movement of firearms and ammunition within the Service.

This statement is signed by members of the Police Reforms Working Group-Kenya, an alliance of national and grassroots organisations committed to professional and rule of law policing. They include the Kariombagi Paralegal Network, Women Empowerment Link, Social Welfare Development Program, Independent Medical Legal Unit, Katiba Institute,

Kenya Human Rights Commission, Defenders Coalition, Amnesty International Kenya, International Centre for Transitional Justice, The Kenyan Section of International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya), Usalama Reforms Forum, Transparency International Kenya, Shield For Justice, Wangu Kanja Foundation, Peace Brigades International, Kenya’s for Peace, Truth and Justice, Constitution, Reform Education Consortium and HAKI Africa.

For more information and interviews contact Sarah Mwangi on smwangi@imlu.org or 0799258073