KENYA: INVESTIGATE HISTORIC EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS FOLLOWING DISBANDMENT OF DCI SPECIAL SERVICE UNIT (SSU)
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
QUOTE
17 October 2022
Responding to the news of the disbandment of Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations Special Service Unit (SSU), Amnesty International Kenya’s Director Irungu Houghton said:
“Amnesty Kenya welcomes the DCI SSU disbandment. The National Police Service must also audit SSU activities, including Investigating and bringing to justice anyone responsible for enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings of many.”
“Amnesty Kenya calls for those culpable of violations of human rights law to be held accountable.”
“Commission of Inquiry should be established to unravel the systemic enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings.”
Background
0n 15 October 2022, the acting Inspector General of Police, Noor Gabow, disbanded the DCI Special Service Unit in an announcement published on the DCI official Twitter page.
Later, on the same day, President William Ruto said he ordered the disbandment of the Special Service Unit. He linked the unit to extra-judicial killings in the country.
From 2019 to September 2022, Amnesty International Kenya documented 559 cases of extra-judicial killings and 53 cases of enforced disappearances. SSU has been linked to most of these killings and disappearances.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact Mathias T. Kinyoda on +254723424803 or email [email protected]