IG Boinett says 19, not 36 people killed during election period
The National Police Service says only 19 people lost their lives between the August and October repeat presidential elections contrary to a report by the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) that had put the number at 36.
In a statement Police Spokesman George Kinoti termed the report by IMLU as inaccurate and an exaggeration of true facts.
Kinoti said only 11 deaths were documented between 8th and 11th of August and eight others between October 25th and 30th.
The spokesman said some of the deaths happened in Tana River when a police officer shot dead two men who had stormed a tallying center and stabbed an IEBC official.
Other deaths he said were recorded in Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya, Nairobi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Bungoma and Kericho counties.
He said in Elgeyo Marakwet, a female adult among a crowd gathered for the announcement of parliamentary election results was shot by an unknown person and the matter is still under investigation.
In Nairobi, he said a total of five people were involved in a shootout with police and were fatally wounded.
In Kisumu County, one person was shot dead during a confrontation between the police and rioters who were allegedly maliciously damaging property.
Kinoti accused IMLU of tainting the image of the police department, adding that they were not consulted during the preparation of the report.
He stated that police internal affairs unit has already received all the cases as well as the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and investigations on the alleged use of excessive force in quelling riots are ongoing.
Wednesday’s IMLU’s preliminary report stated 23 police killings followed the August election and that there were 13 in October.
Police have also denied figures fronted by Amnesty International’s report that stated that at least 33 people were killed in protests after the August 8th vote.
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