IPOA warns police against misuse of firearms

The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) has called on the National Police Service to sensitize officers on provisions of the constitution and National Police Service Act to curb misuse of firearms and excessive force.

In a statement to newsrooms, the body says its independent probe into 14-year-old Kwekwe Mwandaza’s murder on August 22nd, 2014 showed that Kinango DCIO Veronica Gitahi and Constable Issah Mzee misused their guns, yet the police service had cleared them of any wrongdoing.

“While IPOA appreciates the role of the Police in prevention of crime and maintenance of law and order, IPOA will continue to play its rightful role of holding the Police to account for its actions,” read the statement.

IPOA is now urging police bosses to learn from the shooting of Mwandaza and develop structures to train officers regularly to improve policing.

“ In doing so, IPOA will continue to undertake its investigations in a professional manner observing the highest standards of integrity.”

This comes two days after the two officers were found culpable by a Mombasa court of murdering the 14-year-old girl and sentenced to serve seven years in jail each for manslaughter.

In his judgment last Wednesday, Justice Martin Muya had also found the duo guilty of misusing their rifles when they shot the girl at her parent’s home during a raid in pursuit of her uncle, George Zani, who was wanted for alleged murder.

Justice Muya had further ruled that there was gross omission on the part of the accused persons who failed to establish the occupants of the house before they carried out their raid.