Rights groups slam police transfers as inadequate in addressing brutality during anti-femicide protest
By Mary Wambui |
The two senior officers were transferred on Tuesday morning in a surprise move following Inspector General Douglas Kanja's directive last week.
The transfer of Central Police Station Commander Doris Mugambi and her OCS, Isaac Nur, over the use of unnecessary force in dispersing anti-femicide protests in the city last week has been criticised by human rights organisations as an insufficient measure to curb police abuses in the country.
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“While this is a step towards accountability, it falls short of addressing the systemic issues that enable such abuses,” the organisations said in a statement.
They added that the suppression of peaceful protesters with rubber bullets, tear gas, and physical violence—despite their compliance with legal notification requirements—demonstrates a deep-seated disregard for constitutional rights and international human rights obligations.
“Transferring officers is not enough; meaningful reforms are urgently needed to prevent such violations. We call on the Police Inspector General to overhaul police operations and prioritise peaceful engagement with protesters,” said the organisations.
The organisations included Amnesty International Kenya, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU).
The organisations further called for criminal culpability for all officers who used disproportionate force during the march, a comprehensive review of police operations, and an independent probe by the IPOA and KNCHR. They emphasised that the findings of such investigations should be made public and accountability should extend beyond low-ranking officers to their senior counterparts.
Meanwhile, some officers from Central Police Station have expressed discontent over the transfers.
The officers, who requested anonymity, claimed that the Sub-County Police Commander and the OCS followed the law and ensured the demonstrators marched peacefully.
However, they alleged that the situation deteriorated when a contingent of officers from the Regional Commander's office, led by a Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, joined in and began throwing tear gas at the peaceful protesters.
This was reportedly justified by claims that the demonstration had been infiltrated by "some Gen Zs with a hidden agenda," which the officers said was untrue.
They lamented that the senior commander, who they described as “untouchable,” was the main cause of the problem.
The officers further alleged that the organisers had submitted a written notice to the Regional Police Commander, but he refused to acknowledge receipt.
The matter is currently under investigation by the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU). Several witnesses, including the Director of Amnesty International Kenya Irungu Houghton, have already been interviewed and their statements recorded.
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