A section of human rights activists in Eldoret town has raised a red flag over what they claim is increased brutality being subjected to locals by the Uasin Gishu County enforcement officers.
The activists have since filed a formal protest to the police, asking that the enforcement officers’ brutality and torture be investigated.
Speaking to the press at the central police station after meeting the County Police Commander Ayub Gitonga Ali, the activist claimed the human rights violations were happening mostly at the Eldoret Municipal court.
Led by Kimutai Kirui of Centre Against Torture, Centre for Human Rights and Mediation (CHRM) director Nick Omito and Monica Jepkosgey from Africa Centre for Non-Violence, the activists further questioned the legality of the municipal court’s cells.
“The only gazetted cells are at the police station. The county should not have any cells,” said Kirui.
“Occurrence Book (OB) is only at the police station, not the county. All people arrested must be booked at the police station. We should not be seeing these kinds of acts that human rights are violated. Nowadays county enforcement officers are arresting even traffic offenders,” he added.
Eldoret municipal court
Further, according to the human rights activists, the holding cells at the Eldoret Municipal court have been turned into an extortion and torture centre.
“We shall not allow cells and courts to be turned into torture chambers behind the knowledge of the magistrate and even the governor,” said Omito.
He demanded that a unit that has been brutalizing locals, especially traders in Eldoret down to be disbanded.
Further, Omito and the human rights activists said due process must be followed when it comes to arresting and prosecuting offenders.
“It cannot be that the president is disbanding SSU yet there is another one here arresting and torturing people. We want that unit disbanded for people to be taken through due process,” said the CHRD director.
Similar sentiments were shared by Africa Centre for Non-Violence director Monica Jepkosgey who challenged the county askaris to operate within the law.
Record statements
However, Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Ayub Gitonga Ali said they have already launched investigations into the alleged brutality.
He called on other locals that might have been subjected to violations by the county askaris to file a formal complaint so as to facilitate their probe.
“We have complaints that county askaris brutalized citizens and we have launched a probe starting with statement recording. We are asking those being victimized to come out and help us in the probe,” said the police boss.
The Eldoret Municipal court which is located within the Uasin Gishu County Government headquarters usually handles petty crimes among them suspects of illicit brew, and pickpocketing among others.
The court also has a holding cell, run by county enforcement officers.
