Police Mystique: Policing and Extrajudicial Killings by the Police in Kenya and a Call for Justice

Authors

  • Johnson Nduya Muthama

Keywords:

Police and policing, extrajudicial killings, crime and justice

Abstract

The police have a responsibility for the maintenance of law and order in order to protect lives and properties. However, in several instances, the police have been inadvertently mentioned in criminal activities, and at times, the State, through the police, has been accused of extrajudicial killings. This study investigated the extent to which the Kenya police have been involved in extrajudicial killings using the control balance theory. This was done through purposeful sampling and snowballing of former police officers, human rights lawyers, and human rights activists. The study concludes that although there is no substantive evidence indicating that the police killed anyone, there were several instances where the police could have been involved in the killings and/or cover-up of murder. It is recommended that the police be re-oriented on law enforcement procedures, constitutional, and human rights laws.

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Published

2022-07-14

Issue

Section

Articles