'Come with evidence, we’ll take action', DIG Masengeli says over police abuse claims

Masengeli’s remarks came as election stakeholders raised concerns over the risk of political violence ahead of the August 2027 General Election, warning that the prevailing political environment and alleged deployment of goons during the early campaign period could threaten peaceful elections.

“The National Police Service will support independent commissions and intended institutions without bias, and also remind ourselves that police is apolitical; we do not engage in politics. Those we’ve known we have acted upon, but others are just illusions, and if they are facts, come up with evidence, we will take action,” Masengeli noted. 

The remarks followed concerns raised by human rights defenders over alleged state-sanctioned abductions and extrajudicial killings, with the Kenya Human Rights Commission claiming that some specialised police units appeared to operate outside the formal police structure.

“There are specialized police units that appear to be operating outside the formal police structure. Someone has disappeared, someone has been killed, but the IG will say 'it was not us' - yet evidence points to the involvement of law enforcement officers,” a KHRC representative said.

The concerns come against the backdrop of findings by the Kenya Human Rights Commission, which documented 284 incidents of political violence nationwide between January and July 2026. The incidents reportedly resulted in 65 deaths and left more than 3,200 people directly affected.

The commission warned that political party structures had formalised and institutionalised “goonism”, turning violence into a tool for voter suppression. It also raised concerns over attacks affecting spaces traditionally regarded as safe, including churches and hospitals.

Addressing electoral stakeholders, National Cohesion and Integration Commission chairman Dr. Kepha Nyamweya said peaceful elections must guarantee citizens the freedom to assemble and campaign without intimidation or discrimination.

“A free and peaceful election is more than vote tallying; it is where every citizen can assemble and campaign freely without disruption or discrimination. Let us hold all Kenyans to account, let us hold our leaders to account, and anyone that stands up to preach ethnic discrimination or mobilize hate, should not be clapped for,” Nyamweya said.

The concerns were raised as political parties participating in the 2027 General Election signed the Political Decency and Peace Charter, while stakeholders worked on a multi-agency response framework aimed at preventing election-related violence.

Rights groups and electoral stakeholders are calling for accountability and concrete action against those responsible for political violence, warning that commitments to peaceful elections must be matched by measures to protect citizens ahead of the 2027 polls.