‘Pseudo-unmasking’: Senator Oketch says wearing tags, using marked vehicles won’t make police accountable

Migori Senator Eddy Oketch has downplayed Wednesday’s court orders directing the police not to hide their identities and faces or use unmarked vehicles when deployed in demonstrations.

The High Court directed the Inspector General of Police to ensure officers wear name tags and have their service numbers displayed as part of their uniform, after uproar over the police’s conduct during the recent deadly anti-government protests.

Senator Oketch has however termed the move as “pseudo-unmasking”, arguing that it will not enhance accountability in the police force.

He told Citizen TV’s Daybreak program on Thursday that of greater concern should be political powers he accused of giving the police freedom to conduct themselves as seen during the demos where they covered their faces, patrolled and arrested protesters, forcing them into unmarked vehicles.

“This is an attempt to mask the police but it is pseudo-unmasking; it is not proper unmasking. Proper unmasking is removing the political mask that allows some of the policemen to operate this way,” Oketch said.

“What we are seeing during the protests is some policemen allowed by political masks and lawful structures to do this kind of thing.”

The senator added: “There are particular instances where police would be forced to use unmarked vehicles or hidden identity but to the extent that they are lawful.”

Wednesday's court orders came after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) moved to court under a certificate of urgency arguing that the police and their agents have been threatening accountability in the National Police Service.

Police have been heavily criticised for using excessive force and violence against Kenyans in the wake of the anti-government protests.

Top of the issues is the opening of fire on unarmed Kenyans, forceful arrests and orchestrating the abduction of vocal personalities in the demonstrations, in what is seen as suppression of dissent against President William Ruto’s administration.

Data by the government watchdog Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) shows 66 protestors were recorded missing while at least 60 others were killed during the protests as of July 25, although human rights groups say the figures are much higher.