The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has applauded the indictment of senior Kenyan Police officers for crimes against humanity during the wave of violence during the 2017 general elections.
In what is the first time the country has used the International Crimes Act to try such crimes in its own courts, the prosecution has charged several officers with crimes of rape, torture and murder, most notably that of newborn Samantha Pendo, whose head was crushed in her mother’s arms by riot police officers in the town of Kisumu.
Among the officers charged are a police commissioner, a senior superintendent of police, a deputy superintendent, a chief inspector, an inspector, six police inspectors, a senior sergeant and a sergeant, according to the Kenyan newspaper ‘The Nation’.
During the 2017 election period, the National Commission for Human Rights in Kenya documented 94 killings, 201 cases of sexual violence and more than 300 injuries, mostly attributed to repression by security forces.
«The decision is a positive step towards bringing justice to the survivors and the families of the victims,» Turk said Friday.
It should be recalled that two weeks ago, Kenya’s new president, William Ruto, ordered the disbanding of the Special Services Unit (SSU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after hinting that it may have been involved in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
The charges against the officers were brought following an investigation by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Independent Monitoring and Supervisory Authority, with the participation and assistance of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, civil society organizations, victims and witnesses.
The UN Human Rights Office supported this process, as part of its partnership with government institutions in efforts to promote accountability for gross human rights violations.
The High Commissioner underlines, in this regard, its «continued commitment to support the Government of Kenya’s efforts to promote accountability for serious human rights violations, including the commission of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances».
