Opposition leader Raila Odinga had claimed that nearly 50 people were killed since March 2023 when he announced the anti-government protests.
During the weekly protests called by the opposition over the high cost of living, the Azimio accused men in blue uniforms of using live bullets to disperse protestors.
The opposition further accused police officers of camouflaging civilians to kill innocent Kenyans who were exercising their democratic rights.
However, Inspector General of Police (IG), Japheth Koome, has defended the conduct of police officers during the anti-government protests.
Koome, who was addressing journalists at the Kiganjo Police College on Tuesday, August 8, however, accused the opposition of colluding with morgue attendants to taint the ‘good image of the National Police Service’ during the demos.
He claimed that politicians hired bodies from the mortuary and claimed that they were of people being killed during the protests.
“It is very unfortunate to see the members of the society going to mortuaries, hiring dead bodies, and calling the media saying that these people (the dead bodies) were killed by police. How low can some of our leaders sink?”
The police boss added that such claims will not stop the officers from exercising their constitutional duty of maintaining law and order without fear or favor.
Raila’s side has trashed IG Japheth Koome’s utterances and that it was unfair to the grieving families for the police boss to claim that no officers shot protestors.
“Where I come from; Western, Kenya, we have a special respect for the dead. We fear the dead and treat them as spirits. Luhyia, Luo, Kissi, Teso, and Kuria cultures share the same.
“For ID Koome to claim that police never shot dead anyone during protests is unfair to the grieving family,” said ODM Communication director Philip Etale.
