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image captionPolice have put up roadblocks nationwide to enforce a curfew introduced to reduce coronavirus infections
Kenya s police watchdog has begun an investigation into reports that a baby died after officers on curfew duty refused to let a taxi go to hospital.
The four-month-old had developed breathing difficulties on Saturday and was rushed to a local hospital, the grandfather told the Nation newspaper.
Medics said the child needed to go to a referral hospital 25km (15 miles) away.
But officers at a roadblock allegedly refused to let them pass because of a Covid curfew.
Kenya has imposed a 22:00-04:00 curfew to curb a surge in coronavirus infections.
THE STANDARD
KENYA
DCI George Kinoti at the DCI headquarters in Kiambu. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]
The editors agency has criticised the purported summonses issued by the DCI to Royal Media Services over editorial leadership.
Kenya Editors Guild president Churchill Otieno on Wednesday told Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti there is no criminal investigation against RMS editors and reporters over the production.
Silaha Mtaani/ Guns Galore aired on Citizen TV on April 18. It showed the illegal sale and rental of firearms, uniforms, and handcuffs by members of the National Police Service (NPS) and other security agencies to criminals.
Kinoti on Tuesday denied that guns acquired by Citizen TV for the expose were leased out by policemen.
Break down crime data to aid joint mitigation efforts standardmedia.co.ke - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardmedia.co.ke Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
THE STANDARD
KENYA
The High Court in Nairobi has temporarily barred the police from arresting lawyers and Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) officers during curfew hours.
The High Court order now gives lawyers some leeway as they legally seek to have the government recognise them as essential service providers.
Justice Anthony Mrima gave the direction on an application filed by the Law Society of Kenya against CS Interiror, Attorney General and Inspector General of Police after they were left out in the list of essential service providers.
“Pending inter partes hearing of the application, an order is hereby issued restraining the respondents (Interior CS Fred Matiang i, AG Kihara Kariuki and IG Hilary Mutyambai) from interfering with, arresting and harassing advocates travelling to and from official business during curfew hours or outside the lockdown areas,” Mrima ruled.
A recent Kenyan investigation ruled that an officer is to blame for the death of 9-year-old Stephanie Moraa, who was killed during 2017 post-election violence. Moraa died after being hit in the chest by a stray bullet after police fired shots to disperse protestors the day after election results were announced. Months later, the director of prosecutions ordered an inquest into Moraa’s death after the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) sent a report outlining the findings of their investigation into Moraa’s death. IPOA’s report claims that if the police wanted to find the officer responsible for firing the bullet that killed Moraa, they could do so in a day or less. This assertion sheds light on the willingness of Kenyan police officers to protect each other, even when an officer is responsible for violence against citizens. Furthermore, the statement highlights the Kenyan government’s inadequate efforts to prosecute officers. According to Reuters, Kenyan police f