Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome on Tuesday, August 8, sensationally claimed that Azimio leadership hired bodies from mortuaries and paraded them to fix the police with imaginary extrajudicial killings during protests.
Koome claimed that the opposition “colluded” with morgue attendants to “buy” bodies before inviting them to “paint a picture of excessive use of force by the police during maandamano.”
“The information I have is they go to some of the mortuaries, compromise the workers there, people even who died of some illness, people who died maybe out of an accident or other causes, they take photographs of such bodies and blame on the police,” claimed Koome.
However, the Morticians and Allied Professionals Association of Kenya (MAPAKe) on Wednesday, August 9, denied IG Koome’s claims.
In a statement to newsrooms, MAPAke termed Koome’s remarks as “unfair” adding that their ethical guidelines emphasize the respect of the dead.
“We condemn the statement made by the Inspector General of Police Mr. Japheth Koome because we believe that no mortuary technician in the Kenya of today can even attempt to do such a thing,
“The office of the Inspector General is such a respected office to even attempt to lower it to such unimaginable actions. We work very closely with the police service in our day-to-day operations and believe that this position we are taking is very well known to the Inspector General,” said MAPAKe.
the Association has challenged the police boss to provide substantial evidence supporting his statements and ensure that anyone found responsible faces legal consequences. They stated that if he fails to substantiate his claims, he should retract his remarks, which they argue cast a negative light on their reputation and vocation.
“We demand the Inspector General to furnish both Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority and Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board; the two registering, regulating, and licensing bodies of mortuary technicians and the mortuary facilities respectively the particulars of those implicated for investigation and if found culpable, necessary disciplinary actions taken against them,” MAPAKe said.
