Former CJ David Maraga has said police officers need training on human rights as they lack basic understanding to uphold human rights during protests. Photo: David Maraga X.
Recounting his ordeal and encounter with police officers who lobbied teargas to him and the families of the June 2024 protests during the June 25 Anniversary protests, former Chief Justice David Maraga called out National Police Service on excessive use of force.
Speaking during an interview on Tuesday evening on Citizen TV, Maraga faulted NPS in what he termed as excessive and unwarranted use of force towards Gen Z protesters.
According to Maraga, President William Ruto’s National Taskforce on Police Reforms, he said that the Taskforce recommended that the police need a lot of training on human rights.
“We made recommendations; one of them was that the police need a lot of training on human rights affairs. They do not seem to be aware of what they are supposed to do in such situations,” Maraga said.
Citing the recent close point blank range shooting of mask vendor Boniface Kariuki by an officer in Nairobi during June 18 protests, he said the chilling incident us not only inhumane, but also alarming on the conduct of members of NPS.
“To teargas or even shoot unarmed person like Boniface Kariuki is shocking. It leaves you questioning and wonder if the officer is a human being. Because for the close-range shooting, he surely must have known it was going to create a serious injury if not death,” Maraga explained.
Following his march during the protests, the former CJ cleared the air that he joined the anniversary like any other Kenyan in good faith, and slammed the police for throwing teargas canisters to them even before starting the procession towards Parliament.
“Those ladies could not even be allowed to lay their flowers; a clear indication that the government did not want those demonstrations, despite giving a go ahead and their assurance,” Maraga stated.
He refuted claims that there was a lit tyre on the road as claimed by the police, remarks he dismissed that the road was very clear.
“We were just walking to the statue on Kimathi Street, that is where the families wanted to lay flowers, and then they would walk to parliament. We didn’t even go 10 metres before they threw teargas on them,” he said.
His remarks coming as the concerns continue over the handling of protesters by police during the two recent protests, with human rights group demanding investigations on witnessed police brutality and extra-judicial killings.
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