Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga has issued a sharp critique of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). He charged them with failing to provide vital investigation documents.
These documents are needed to investigate alleged police misconduct. The delays have reportedly paralyzed the legal process for several high-profile cases involving loss of life and the controversial use of force in religious and public spaces.
The DPP’s concerns center on several specific incidents that have drawn significant public outcry. The two fatal shootings in Kitengela and the death of another person in Huruma constitute one of these incidents. The investigative bodies have not yet delivered essential proof that the ODPP requires to reach a decision about prosecution despite the severe nature of these deaths.
Beyond the fatalities, the DPP highlighted a lack of progress in investigations into the use of tear gas canisters by police. Police forces used tear gas canisters in two locations that received public disapproval. These locations included a church in Othaya and areas where police used teargas to break up public assemblies in Kitengela and Kakamega.
Mr. Ingonga stated that his office requires constitutional authority to operate properly. He explained that the DCI and IPOA must investigate their assigned cases because they serve as primary investigators.
The DPP said his office requires these inquiry documents because they stop him from pursuing disciplinary action against officers. The current standoff indicates an increasing conflict between the two primary national law enforcement agencies, which represent the prosecutorial and investigative branches of government.
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