‘IT’S NOT US!’ – DCI Director Claims Abductions Are Not Done By His Unit
On Tuesday, National Police Services (NPS) leaders denied allegations that police officers abducted and tortured protesters during the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests.
Addressing journalists during an engagement with the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), Director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin stated unequivocally that law enforcement was involved in the abductions.
He went on to say that all police arrests were carried out in accordance with the law and that detainees were held in legal police stations.
“We take those we arrest to gazetted police stations. The DCI is not involved in kidnappings. I wish I knew where the missing Kenyans are. Why would I kidnap anyone, and where would I even take them?” Amin wondered while addressing the mainstream editors.
DCI Amin has distanced himself, but from his statement he acknowledges there are abductions.
— Bill Kibichii (@Bill_Kibichii) August 14, 2024
So again lynch and burn the bodies of those masked guys brandishing weapons in Subarus while abducting people on site.
War is war, They will kill a few but not all of us. pic.twitter.com/BpGM8QCuf8
“Some media houses are driving the agenda that the DCI is involved in kidnappings. This is not true. My conscience is clear; I am at peace with myself because I have never been involved in extrajudicial killings.”
Separately, Gideon Nyale, Commandant of the Kiganjo Training College, explained that, according to the Constitution, police officers were legally allowed to wear civilian clothes even when carrying out arrests.
He was responding to public concerns that police officers dressed in civilian clothes had participated in abductions during the nationwide protests.
“Operation orders are what guide us. We make decisions based on intelligence on the ground. It’s not illegal for police officers to wear civilian clothes; sometimes, they do this to gather intelligence,” he stated.
“When orders are given, however, officers must make individual decisions on executing those orders. We use firearms in justifiable circumstances.”
In an infamous case of abduction, Amin apologized to veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho, who was kidnapped at Karen Police Station last month. Amin stated that it was a case of mistaken identity.
More than 60 people have gone missing since the protests began in mid-June, with the majority still unaccounted for.
More than 24 people died as a result of the protests. Some of the deaths were attributed to police brutality.
However, NPS is committed to collaborating with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to resolve the cases.
‘IT’S NOT US!’ – DCI Director Claims Abductions Are Not Done By His Unit
