PBI-Kenya condemns police violence at Likoni Ferry Crossing hours before COVID-19 curfew

On March 28, the Peace Brigades International-Kenya Project posted a statement by the Police Reforms Working Group that it and 19 other groups signed titled ‘Police must stop the use of excessive force while enforcing the curfew order’.

The statement says:

“Under the auspices of the Police Reforms Working Group, twenty national human rights organisations, collectively condemn the unnecessary and excessive use of force by Kenya Police Service officers yesterday at the Likoni Ferry Crossing, Mombasa.”

“We also condemn the assault of Nation Media Group Journalist Peter Wainaina by a uniformed police officer during the operation. We remind the Police that journalists and media houses are among the essential services exempted from the curfew order as per the Schedule published by the Ministry of Interior.”

“It is unbelievable that this violence took place two hours before the designated curfew time of 7:00 pm. It is essential that Kenyan law and international human [rights] standards are respected.”

“We further call upon the National Police Service Inspector General to restrain his officers from using teargas to avoid potential spread of COVID-19. Hundreds were forced to cough, vomit, spit and touch their faces to wipe away tears and unblock their mouths and noses.”

A separate statement by Kenya National Commission on Human Rights noted, “The gusto, attitude, and zeal in which the law enforcement officers were seen harassing and beating innocent members of the public; that included vulnerable persons like women, defeated the solemnity in which they need to handle the mitigating measures of spreading COVID 19. Equally critical actors such as journalists and other essential service providers like drivers of food supplies were not spared in this sheer brutality.”

For more on this, please see Police assault journalists as chaos rock Likoni crossing channel (The Star), Chaos rock Likoni ferry crossing (Daily Nation), Night Of Terror As Police Whip Kenyans On Day 1 Of State Curfew (Capital News) and Chaos in Mombasa as police beat up residents hours before curfew (Citizen Digital).

Image above from NTV Kenya video.

The full statement from the Police Reforms Working Group is below.