Activists have been protesting against police brutality in Nairobi
NAIROBI, June 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A police camp in Kenya’s Naivasha town, west of the capital Nairobi, was set on fire by angry residents who were protesting against alleged harassment.
The residents set the house of the officer in-charge on fire before flames spread to the other houses.
Fire fighters put out the fire but property of unknown value had been destroyed. No one was injured in the incident, according to Naivasha sub-county commissioner Mathioya Mbogo.
Police have not made any arrests and are investigating the arson.
Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) last week raised alarm on rising cases of police brutality.
The police watchdog said at least 15 people had been killed by police during the nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew, aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. It called for them to be arrested and charged but no action has been taken so far.
Activists have been holding demonstrations in Nairobi calling for an end to police brutality.
Meanwhile, detectives have arrested three police officers for allegedly whipping a woman and dragging her along behind a motorbike, after footage of the incident went viral online.
The video of police beating 21-year-old Mercy Cherono emerged after several days of small protests in the Kenyan capital over extrajudicial police killings in Kenya and against U.S. police for the death of George Floyd.
Brutality allegations against the Kenyan police are common and the Independent Police Oversight Authority, an independent government watchdog supported by donor funds, has received thousands of complaints since it was set up in 2011.
Last week the watchdog said preliminary investigations showed police appeared to be responsible for 15 deaths and 31 cases of injury since March 27, when Kenya imposed a dawn-dusk curfew to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
Among the dead was 13-year-old Yasin Hussein Moyo, shot by a stray bullet as he stood on his balcony. Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji has approved the arrest and prosecution of a police officer over Moyo’s death. — NNN-AGENCIES
