Senate orders Police Apology and review of Protest Management Procedures

By Robert Mutasi 

Senate has ordered Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to issue a formal acknowledgement and apology over lives lost following recent peaceful demonstrations that swept the country.

 This announcement was made by Speaker Amason Kingi during today's session, in which he asserted that the Senate will protect citizens' rights as stipulated in the Constitution.

The resolution by the Senate followed the imperative under Article 37 of Chapter Four of the Kenyan Constitution, guaranteeing each person the right to freedom of peaceful demonstration, assembly, and petition to public authorities without violence or repression-a constitutional protection in place to remind state agencies, especially the police, of the fundamental rights and freedoms that must be guarded.

Speaker Kingi called for accountability on the part of the National Police Service: "The Senate resolves that the National Police Service takes responsibility for and apologizes for all deaths that occurred due to the peaceful demonstrations." 

The calls for accountability come amid growing public concern over how police deal with protests, particularly in those instances where excessive force has been reported.

Other than the apology, the Senate had ordered that the National Police Service file a revised set of standard operating procedures on protest and demonstration management and the use of force during such an event. 

This is intended to increase the capacity and training of law enforcement personnel during demonstrations to ensure that citizens' rights are protected and that their lives are not put in danger.

The Open Order to review and revise the SOPs is part of the bigger cry for reform in the police force for full adherence to human rights and also to avoid further tragedies in public gatherings. 

This move also shows how serious the Senate is regarding deeper causes of tension in protests that involve law enforcement.

With the country forging ahead, these acts by the Senate may just have opened up avenues for peaceful demonstrations and restored trust between citizens and the police. 

These unfolding events are keenly awaited by members of the civil society class and human rights groups in the desire for substantive reforms that will shield the rights of all Kenyans while sustaining law and order.

 It may be this commitment from the Senate toward accountability and reform which shapes the future of civil liberties in Kenya.