The High Court of Kenya at Nairobi on a Constitutional and Human rights petition, prohibited the National Police Service (among other ruling orders) from using unreasonable force in enforcing the curfew order. This followed the public outcry due to the rampant case of police brutality that had spread in the country. Civil Society actors led by the Kenya Human Rights Commision, Law Society of Kenya, Federation of Women Lawyers - Kenya and Independent Policing Authority (IPOA)
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| The police deployed 24,000 officers on the first day of the national lockdown. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks |
In South Africa, a local daily reported that at least 3 people had been killed in the first 3 days of the lockdown as of 1st April 2020. Bloomberg also reported that Rwandan Police had killed two people by 25th March 2020.
On 1st April 2020, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta apologised for violence by the police following the enforcement of a nationwide curfew last week. The police were accused of using heavy-handed tactics to enforce the dusk-to-dawn curfew to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, with tear gas, baton charges and the alleged firing of live rounds.
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| 26 year old Calvince Omondi |
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| 13 year old Yassin Moyo |
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| 23 year old Erick Ng'ethe |
Growing calls for police to be held accountable for excessive violence used to enforce COVID-19-related restrictions is a call to action by Civil Society to ensure that human rights are not violated amidst the suppression that intends to curb the COVID Virus spread. Despite several requests for comment by the media, the Kenya Police Service declined to comment further on the actions of their officers.
The Power Tower Kenya seeks to promote local and global awareness and understanding of COVID-19, and will continue to support data-driven recommendations made by all States and Governments and International agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO).
Communications Department: Contact: thepowertowerke@gmail.com
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