‘Probe police excesses against students in Kenya’

Global human rights watchdog, the Amnesty International on Tuesday asked Kenya to probe police excesses and violence against university students.

“Amnesty Kenya is deeply concerned about the violence against students resorted by police officers at Jamo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Juja, Kiambu on Nov. 11,” the civil rights group said in a statement.

“The incidents were precipitated, when students gathered to protest against growing insecurity in the campus and around,” the statement read.

“We call upon the Internal Affairs Unit of the NPS [National Police Service], the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to commence investigations into the cause of the violence,” Amnesty International said.

The interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi and the Inspector General of the NPS had committed to probe and arrest officers involved in the incident. While appreciating this commitment, human rights body noted that Kenyan police officers have been using excessive force against students in recent years.

It also recommended reforms in the methods of policing, to break the cycle of violent incidents in the Kenyan seats of higher learning.

“Violent policing during demonstrations must stop. Officers who break their code of office must be held individually guilty of misconduct, sanctioned and made to compensate victims,” said Irungu Houghton, executive director of Amnesty office in Kenya.