A case has been filed in the High Court in Nairobi to compel the government to activate a law designed to establish an independent body to investigate unexplained deaths, particularly those caused by the police.
In their case filed before High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi, John Wangai, Peter Agoro, and Operation Linda Jamii urge the court to implement the National Coroners Service Act, which aims to establish an independent coroner responsible for investigating causes of death and holding those involved accountable. "In the wake of the youth-led protests calling for accountability and transparency in government, it is worth noting that police officers were on the spot for using excessive force and wearing facemasks, making it difficult to identify them and subsequently prefer charges against them particularly in cases where they are alleged to have shot to death a protester," the group led by Wangai argued.
It has now been almost eight years since the enactment of the National Coroners Service Act, 2017.
The Act's passage paved the way for establishing the National Coroners Service, whose primary mandate is to investigate mysterious deaths and police conduct.
