More than seven years after the death of Baby Samantha Pendo and 39 others during the 2017 post-election violence in Kisumu, four senior police officers were yesterday arraigned at the High Court in Nairobi on charges of crimes against humanity.
John Chego Masha, Linah Kogey, Cyprine Tobi Wankio, and James Rono appeared before High Court Judge Margaret Muigai at the Milimani Law Courts where they pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including murder, rape, and torture.
The charges are detailed in a comprehensive 30-page document filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga, which reveals how junior officers killed Pendo, raped women and some victims allegedly forced to pay between Sh500 and Sh2,000.
The four officers are the first in Kenya to be charged with crimes against humanity under the International Crimes Act, the doctrine of command responsibility, a principle of international law that holds superiors criminally liable for atrocities committed by their subordinates if they fail to prevent them or punish the perpetrators.
