DCI special unit disbanding a ‘PR stunt’, Coast civil societies say

Coast civil society groups at a press briefing in Mombasa on October 19, 2022. They have called President William Ruto's order to disband the Special Service Unit as “a public relations stunt”.

Coast civil society groups have called President William Ruto's order to disband the Special Service Unit as “a public relations stunt”.

“The President has taken the first step. However, this journey is a long one. We did reports as human rights groups when the killings were happening,” said Fr Gabriel Dolan of Haki Yetu. 

“Mr Ruto was in the previous government and served as the deputy. We are informing him the disbandment is not enough as we are watching the next steps he will take because this might be a stunt.”

President Ruto was part of the previous government that he is now accusing of enabling human rights violations, said Muhuri Rapid Response Officer Francis Auma,

Human rights groups, he said, produced several reports on extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

“Disbanding the security officers is not enough. We want to see them being investigated and sent to jail where they belong. We will involve a special rapporteur to investigate too. Let accountability take place,” Mr Auma said.

This week, President Ruto ordered the Special Service Unit disbanded.

“I am the one who ordered that the Special Service Unit, which was conducting extrajudicial killings, be disbanded,” President Ruto said in Kericho.

The lobby groups also questioned the appointment of Japhet Koome as Inspector-General of Police.

“We do not want [Mr Koome] to be appointed to that position. While killings were being conducted in Nairobi, he was supervising them,” Fr Dolan claimed.

The groups also want the President to make public any report he gets after the security officers are investigated.

“The order was enforced last week and to date we have not heard of anybody arrested or charged. We want to see the action taking place,” said Simon Kazungu, the chairperson of the Pwani Social Justice Working Group.

Salma Hemed of Haki Africa urged the government to intervene and help families whose relatives disappeared or were killed by people suspected to be police.

“The families of the victims are being sidelined by society. It is not a good image for a person to be tagged because of allegations that their kin was killed or forcefully disappeared on grounds [that they were] a terror suspect,” Ms Hemed said. 

“The government should set aside resources for such families.”

They spoke at a press conference in Mombasa on Wednesday.

Between January and September this year, 107 people were killed by police and 10 disappeared, the groups claimed.