LSK president Faith Odhiambo/FILEThe Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has called out the Inspector General of the National Police Service, Douglas Kanja, over his remarks on the recent wave of alleged abductions.
In a statement, LSK said it is insufficient for the Inspector General to merely deny police involvement in these abductions without explicitly outlining the steps being taken to address these egregious violations.
“The Inspector-General appears to lack awareness of his mandate under the law or the ability to discharge it effectively. This is a grave abdication of duty that cannot be countenanced in a constitutional democracy,” LSK president Faith Odhiambo said.
“The office of the Inspector-General is entrusted with the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of all citizens. If the holder of this office is incapable of fulfilling that mandate, it would be in the best interest of the nation for him to either rise to the occasion or tender his resignation forthwith.”
Kanja on Thursday refuted any allegations of police involvement in the reported abductions in the country.
In a statement, he said that there is no police station in the country that is currently holding any of the persons reported to have been abducted.
“For avoidance of doubt, the National Police Service is not involved in any abduction, and there is no police station in the country that is holding the reported abductees,” Kanja said.
The LSK, however, insists that if the police are not complicit, they must investigate and prosecute those responsible for the abductions.
The LSK boss further said that the police must reassure the public by taking visible and demonstrable steps to protect citizens from further violations and also work collaboratively with other security agencies to restore public trust.
“Failure to act decisively risks emboldening perpetrators and fostering a culture of impunity, which directly undermines human rights, constitutionalism, and the rule of law.”
The Law Society of Kenya further called for a national dialogue on enforced disappearances and a comprehensive strategy to combat these violations.
On Thursday, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said a total of 82 persons have been abducted since June this year, with 29 yet to be traced to date.
In the last three months, the commission said there have been 13 reported cases, with December alone accounting for seven.
One person has, however, been found out of the seven recorded this month.
The list of the six who are still missing is said to have been abducted between December 17-25.
They are Steve Mbisi from Machakos, Billy Mwangi (Embu), Peter Muteti (Nairobi), Bernard Kavuli (Nairobi), Gideon Kibet alias Kibet Bull (Nairobi), and Rony Kiplang'at (Kiambu).
