the leaders called on Inspector General Joseph Boinnet to take punitive action against the officer and open an inquiry into the death of Evans Njoroge/DAVIS AYEGA
NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 28 – A section of Meru leaders have demanded the immediate arrest of a police officer who allegedly shot a Meru University student leader Tuesday.
Led by the Tigania West MP Kanyuithia Mutunga, the leaders called on Inspector General Joseph Boinnet to take punitive action against the officer and open an inquiry into the death of Evans Njoroge.
“The policeman who pulled the trigger and killed the student should be apprehended and prosecuted because he committed murder,” said Mutunga on Wednesday during a press briefing at Parliament buildings.
Mutunga who accused the police in Meru of lacking discipline, appealed to the Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi to carry out a major reshuffle in the police department in the area citing cases where the police have repeatedly used excessive use of force on the students.
“Meru police have a habit of being extreme when discharging their duties, it is high time Matiangi acted and initiate a transfer of police in this area and bring other individuals who are disciplined. Each time there is a scuffle between the police and the students the situation gets out of hand,” he said.
Njoroge was chased and allegedly shot by a police officer during demonstrations that were staged by the students who were protesting over increase of fees by the university management.
Njoroge is reported to have been shot at a farm where he had gone to seek refuge.
Igembe Central MP Cyprian Kubai faulted the management of Meru University over what he termed as dictatorial tendencies by the management and urged Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed to look into the matter.
“If the Vice Chancellor and his team have failed to be proactive in addressing some of the issues the students raise then let them pack and leave. It is very crucial also that the Ministry of Education should try finding out the root causes of rampant strikes in Meru University,” said Kubai.
Kubai wondered why a police would shoot and kill an innocent individual in broad daylight and called on relevant bodies to take action against the rogue officer.
“Are we training police officers to go and kill youths, why should a police officer use a gun which he has been mandated to protect the law abiding citizens to kill and more importantly why has this police officer been arrested and prosecuted?,” Kubai asked.
Kubai said justice should be served to the family of Njoroge and demanded that Matiangi and Boinnet treat the matter with the urgency that it deserves.
Other leaders who spoke and condemned the act by the police are MPs Jayne Kihara (Naivasha) and Martha Wangari (Gilgil).
Learning at the institution has since been paralyzed with the reopening date set for March 6.
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