More than 50 police officers have been summoned by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) over the deaths, serious injuries and other unlawful acts allegedly committed during the Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations by Gen-Z and the Azimio protests of 2023.
Documents show more than 15 senior police commanders including the Bungoma County police commander Francis Kooli are among those directed to appear before the IPOA detectives from Tuesday, September 16 to Thursday, September 19, for grilling and statement recording.
IPOA is investigating dozens of cases linked to the protests.
Following the summons, the Kenya Police Service headquarters directed the officers to meet their respective legal officers Monday ahead of the appearance for briefing.
“Legal officers from this headquarters will meet with concerned officers at the Regional headquarters on September 16 for briefing prior to appearing at the Authority offices on the respective dates,” a letter signed by Elizabeth Marube on behalf of the Deputy Inspector General reads.
In the Western region, Commander Kooli and his Kakamega counterpart Lucy Kananu, the Bungoma South police commander Wilson Muraya and his Kakamega Central counterpart, the General Service Unit (GSU) officer in charge of the Kakamega State Lodge, and the officer in charge of the Akichelesit Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) are among the officers listed as persons of interest in the ongoing investigations.
IPOA on August 30 wrote to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Kenya Police Service stating that they are finalizing independent investigations into the killings and injuries which occurred on diverse dates in the Western Region during the Gen-Z and Azimio demonstrations in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
“In the course of its investigations, the Authority has established that several police officers were involved during the said police operations that resulted in deaths and serious injuries among other crimes,” IPOA wrote.
