Four Kenyan police officers suspended over brutality against students

Kenya police are on the spot over brutality and excessive force unleashed on Jomo Kenyatta University students on Monday.
Officers from Juja and Makongeni Police stations descended on the learners, who, ironically, were protesting over rising insecurity around the main campus, with blows, kicks and clubs.

Instead of protection, assurances and outlining the steps they would take to ensure the Jkuat student fraternity is safe, the officers chose to give stabbers and muggers a run for their money— rubbing salt in the victims’ festering wounds.
The officers in full combat gear mutated into a rogue force as they battled to restore law and order after the protesting student blocked sections of the busy Thika Road and brought business around Jkuat to a standstill.

In one of the ugly scenes captured on camera, five male police officers are seen brutally assaulting a defenceless male student.
In the video that has since gone viral online, the officers take turns in raining kicks on Allan Omondi lying on the ground.
Omondi is a fourth year-student pursuing a degree in Food Science Technology at the Juja-based campus.
As the student in a red t-shirt and blue jeans attempts to regain consciousness and scrambles to his knees, one of the officers kicks his head with a heavy boot.

The powerful kick sends him sprawling back to the dusty ground as the other officers descend on him with clubs.
One of the police men is seen attempting to trample Omondi’s head, as if to finish him.
While the condition of the student, who was later arrested and locked up, was not immediately known, he most likely sustained serious injuries.
Kenya’s Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai condemned the brutality of his officers and ordered for action taken against them within 24 hours.

“The National Police Service wishes to inform that the four officers who were caught on camera meeting excessive force on a JKUAT student have been identified and consequently interdicted from service as per police procedures. Further action and other internal disciplinary processes will follow the recommendations of the Internal Affairs Unit investigation. We commend the individual who had the presence of mind to record the incident and thank all Kenyans who made it to go viral,” Mutyambai said in a statement issued on Tuesday.