The Director of Public Prosecutions Tuesday ordered investigations into events of Gen Z protests on Parliament on June 25, 2024.
This follows an exposé aired by the BBC Africa Eye programme, which investigated protesters’ access to the Kenyan Parliament during the 2024 Gen Z-led protests.
DPP Mulele Ingonga said the publicly available program highlights significant evidence and footage capturing the events that unfolded during that period.
“Notably, several individuals of interest were either clearly visible or mentioned in relation to the protesters access to parliament and other activities surrounding the protest.”
“This programme raises serious concerns about potential breaches of public order, as well as the use of force, possible misconduct, and the accountability of those involved including security forces and protest participants,” he said in a statement.
He ordered the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to investigate the issue.
But given some of those involved could be from the military, experts are calling for a wider involvement of other bodies in the probe.
But the DPP said it is crucial that IPOA plays its mandated role to independently and transparently investigate these events and forward the investigation file to the DPP for perusal and advice.
“Given the clarity of some of the footage and testimonies in the documentary, the Director of Public Prosecutions directs that IPOA urgently initiates investigations to identify and bring to account the alleged perpetrators involved in the breach of Parliament, investigate any misconduct or excessive use of force by law enforcement officers during the protests and ensure that witnesses mentioned or shown in the documentary are protected and potentially called upon to provide statements.”
“This matter is a public interest matter and touches on the heart of our democratic values-freedom of expression, lawful assembly, and institutional accountability,” said Ingonga.
IPOA noted in an earlier statement that 60 deaths have been registered and have already completed investigations into 22 while actively pursuing 36, with two currently before the courts.
The two include Rex Masai and Evans Kiratu, who were gunned down in Nairobi on the day of the protests, with police officers being the key suspects.
“Of the completed investigations, 8 are under final internal review, 4 are in the final stages of report writing before submission to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) for independent review, 2 were closed internally, 4 have been forwarded to the ODPP for review, and 3 were closed following ODPP directives,” read the statement in part.
Among the 60 death cases, 29 cases , 8 were recorded in Nyeri, 6 in Kakamega, Kisumu (6), Nakuru (4), Eldoret (3), Mombasa (3) and Meru (1).
The Authority also recorded another 233 injury cases from the demonstrations with 191 currently under investigations.
Of the remaining cases, 42 were closed internally, while 2 were forwarded to the ODPP.
IPOA has however noted that there has been instances of non-cooperation from police officers and witnesses, which has impeded the progress of some investigations.
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