The High Court has issued an order preventing Police Officers from masking their faces when controlling demonstrations.
The Inspector General of the National Police Service has been ordered to ensure that plain-clothed officers do not mask their faces when dealing with protestors during demonstrations.
High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye said the IG should further ensure that his officers do not obscure the identification or registration of any motor vehicle being used when dealing with people who are demonstrating.
The Judge issued the orders following an application filed by the Law Society of Kenya.
LSK through advocate Dudley Ochiel told the court deployment of plain-clothed officers always creates a chilling effect which ultimately gets in the way of people’s right to demonstrate.
“These unidentified officers cannot be held accountable for their actions. As a result, they end up using excessive force. They cannot be held accountable because they are unknown,” said Ochiel.
He told the Judge that unless the courts intervene and the trend is put to a halt, Kenyans risk death and denial of their rights under the constitution.
