LSK Demands Urgent Action on Police Killings, Warns of Rising Impunity

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has issued a powerful statement demanding immediate accountability for the extrajudicial killings of Kenyan citizens by state security officers, warning that continued impunity threatens the country’s democracy and rule of law.

The call follows a recent BBC Africa Eye investigation aired on April 27, which revealed disturbing footage and testimonies implicating security officers in the execution of unarmed youths during last year’s anti-government demonstrations. According to the LSK, the revelations underscore a pattern of brutality by those mandated to protect life and uphold the Constitution.

“The Kenyan reality is characterized by a symbolic irony where those whose sworn duty it is to preserve the right to life have proven to be the greatest threat to its enjoyment,” read the statement by LSK President Faith Odhiambo.

The legal body also condemned the killing of six demonstrators in Angata Barrikoi, Kilgoris, on April 28, 2025. The victims, according to the statement, were peacefully protesting over land issues when police opened fire, killing them “in cold blood.”

The LSK termed the incident a criminal act and demanded the immediate identification and prosecution of the officers involved.

The Society expressed alarm over the dismissive attitudes of some political leaders. Mandera North MP Bashir Abdullahi was criticized for remarks suggesting the country should “move on” from the killings.

Other MPs, including Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay) and John Kiarie (Dagoretti South), were accused of spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories targeting the BBC and Kenya’s international partners.“These comments are disgraceful and undermine the responsibilities entrusted to elected leaders,” said the LSK, reminding MPs that their duty is to defend the people, not their oppressors.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) was also rebuked for what the LSK described as slow and ineffective action. Of 60 cases of police brutality registered with IPOA, only six have so far reached the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The LSK warned that this level of inaction borders on complicity.

The Society issued a four-point demand to address the crisis: fast-tracking of all investigations into police killings; prosecution of identified officers captured on video; a directive from the National Security Council to investigate historical extrajudicial killings; and full disclosure of related reports, along with protection for victims and witnesses.

“In times such as this, laxity, complacency and lack of urgency are tantamount to complicity,” the statement concluded.