The United Nations has joined growing voices calling for justice and accountability in response to recent incidents of police brutality witnessed during public protests in Kenya.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, June 19, the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, Stephen Jackson, expressed deep concern over what he described as “violent events” and emphasized the urgent need for independent investigations and adherence to the rule of law.
“Like Kenyans and Kenya’s partners, we’ve been shocked by the recent violent events,” Jackson said.
He reiterated President William Ruto’s recent remarks on the responsibilities of law enforcement officers, noting that every police officer must uphold their duty to protect the lives and rights of all citizens.
“We echo President Ruto’s statement from six days ago: every member of the police has ‘a tremendous responsibility for [every] individual’s safety, security and well-being and must make every effort to discharge this duty conscientiously and without fail,’” Jackson stated.
The UN official, who also serves as an advocate of sustaining peace and is trained as an anthropologist, underscored that Kenya’s 2010 Constitution—commonly referred to as Katiba—provides clear guarantees for human rights, which must be upheld without compromise.
“There needs to be independent investigation, full accountability and a consistent upholding of the rule of law, in keeping with the guarantees that this amazing Katiba Constitution gives to every Kenyan,” he added.
Jackson’s remarks come amid mounting outrage over several recent incidents, including the shooting of an unarmed street vendor by police during protests in Nairobi and the custodial death of social media influencer Albert Ojwang.
The National Police Service has since announced the arrest of the officer involved in the vendor’s shooting, while internal investigations are said to be ongoing.
Human rights groups and international partners have been closely monitoring the situation and are pushing for transparent investigations and prosecution of those found culpable.
