Chief Justice Martha Koome has urged the police to exercise restraint during protests and to carefully distinguish between peaceful demonstrators and individuals who infiltrate protests to incite violence or loot.
Speaking during the swearing-in of National Police Service Commission (NPSC) members to the National Heroes Council, Koome emphasised that officers must uphold human rights standards and avoid actions that could lead to unnecessary harm or the loss of life. "The police must respond with restraint, proportionality, and strict adherence to human rights standards, avoiding actions that could cause unnecessary harm or loss of life," she said. "It is also incumbent upon the police to distinguish between peaceful demonstrators and criminal elements, those who infiltrate protests to incite violence and loot, and to apprehend and process such individuals through the justice system." Her remarks come in the wake of Monday's Saba Saba Day demonstrations, which saw at least 10 people killed, 29 injured, and property worth millions destroyed in Nairobi and other towns.
According to the Chief Justice, such tragic outcomes should not occur.
She called on members of the public to exercise their right to protest peacefully, without carrying weapons or engaging in acts of violence. "The public must exercise their right to protest peacefully, without carrying arms, and without engaging in acts of destruction, looting, or vandalism of public infrastructure such as government buildings and court infrastructure, or private businesses," Koome said.
