IPOA wants DCI’s forensic laboratory made independent

The National Forensic Laboratory at DCI Headquarters.
The Independent
Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) on Wednesday appeared before the National Dialogue Committee (NDC) at the Bomas
of Kenya to submit its memoranda.
Led by the
authority's chairperson Ann Makori, the team said many times they have faced
challenges while seeking to get hard facts from the police to investigate their
colleagues’ misconduct.
As a
result, IPOA has suggested to the NDC to ensure the forensic laboratory which
is domiciled at the DCI headquarters to be made independent to limit police
influence, saying they don't have faith in it as currently instituted.
“We have
made a proposal that this forensic laboratory should be given autonomy away
from DCI so that it does its job. Not only for the police, there are many other
organisations that would want to use the lab,” IPOA submitted.
IPOA
revealed that at times, the reports availed to them by police are doctored in
favour of the officers they are probing, a move which has adversely affected
their delivery.
“Domiciling
it strictly under IG hampers our work because the DCI are part and parcel of
police.”
The police
watch unit accused Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome of constantly
abusing his powers and the National Police Service (NPS) of being partisan when
conducting their duties.
IPOA says
it has received 237 complaints with 57 deaths formally registered during the
anti-govt protests that rocked the country between March 2023 and July 2023.
At the same
time the authority pleaded with the NDC to let them also have prosecutorial
powers to avoid the delays in justice administration.
The IPOA
also wants their mandate to be expanded to cover other security personnel and
the authority be fully entrenched in the constitution.
Among other
special groups which have appeared before the NDC are Wajir Community members,
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake even as more stakeholders are lined up this afternoon.
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