Kenya - In marking the 100th World Women's Day, the Release Political Prisoners lobby group yesterday hosted more than 50 women whose husbands have been killed by the police. Red candles were lit to symbolise the blood of those killed and tales of how loved ones were killed made some women break down in tears. At the ceremony, the organisation claimed that police officers were secretly paying families of victims of extra-judicial killings in apparent attempts to erase all evidence that implicates them.

Njoki Kamau, an RPP official, said they have documented cases where officers have been keen to 'provide incentives' to facilitate quick burial of the victims felled by police bullets.

She claimed RPP has evidence to show that police gave families money to cater for funeral expenses to enable them bury the victims quickly with no autopsy done. "There appears to exist systematic attempts by death squads to conceal evidence, especially in the light of increased national and international security," said Njoki. "Often families have no information as to which remedies they can seek in the case of extra-judicial killings and the procedure they can use to document these cases and preserve evidence," she said.

RPP claimed that bereaved families of victims of extra-judicial killings are subjected to humiliation by police. It gave an example of the wife of John Kamuri, an alleged victim of extra-judicial killing who was called a 'dog' by a police officer in Ruiru, while she was looking for her husband's body. "She was told in a very insensitive manner to 'stop crying here and go find your husband at the City Mortuary'. A mortuary is not a hotel. It is really very bad," said Njoki.

Some of the women withhold crucial information for fear of reprisals from the police. "In one instance a mother told us that she doesn't want to lose her other sons," Njoki said.

A widow, Ruth Wanjiru, narrated how she learned her husband was killed by police. "I was called by a young man who was a friend of my husband. He told me my husband was arrested and shot. I could not imagine it and I went to the police who said they had no idea, only for me to confirm later that he was killed," she said.

According to the UN, about 3000 youth have been killed in Kenya in extra-judicial killings since 2006. In 2009, the UN Special Rapportuer on Extra-judicial killings, Philip Alston found several cases of police extra judicial killings. "Killings by the police in Kenya are systematic, widespread and carefully planned. They are committed at will and with utter impunity," Alston said.

RPP called on the government to implement the recommendations spelt out by the Justice Philip Ransley taskforce which also called for urgent police reforms.

Abdilatif Maalim

Nairobi Star/10/03/2011