LSK faults Murkomen for disregarding orders barring police from hiding identity during protests

This comes after CS Murkomen, during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, opined that the court orders were subject to interpretation and officers can hide their identities "to protect themselves".

"That order is subject to interpretation because we will not allow our police officers to put their lives in danger by wearing uniform when they are not supposed to wear uniform," Murkomen noted.

In her swift rejoinder,  LSK president Faith Odhiambo said that CS Murkomen's statement was a stark ignorance of the law, arguing that Court Orders are not subject to interpretation by any person, entity, or authority other than Courts of Appellate Jurisdiction.

"By proposing that court orders are subject to interpretation by the Executive, Mr. Murkomen has elevated himself, the National Police Service (NPS) and the Executive arm of Government to a non-existent pedestal of supremacy in law, where compliance with court orders is a matter of choice and convenience," she said in a statement.

The LSK president noted that every court order is binding, enforceable and must be strictly complied with unless and until set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction.

She added that in the aforementioned circumstances, there is no justification for any officer to disguise themselves during protests while a court order remains in force.

"Should any police officer disguise themselves during any demonstrations, the same will be considered a deliberate act of contempt against court orders," she noted.

The Sixth Schedule of the NPS Act (A and B) provides clear guidelines on police conduct on the use of force and also how they should protect themselves when maintaining peace.

The High Court issued orders in August 2024 directing the Inspector General of Police to ensure that officers do not hide their identity, face when deployed in demonstrations.

The police were also directed to wear name tags and service numbers should be displayed as part of their uniform.

This came after the LSK moved to court under a certificate of urgency, arguing that the police and their agents have been threatening the creation of an accountable national police service.