Policeman in Kenya sentenced to seven years in prison
Police Abuse Of Power
January 2024
With IJM's support, a court in Kenya has convicted a police officer for the brutal killing of 33-year-old Kingori Kanyi.
Two weeks before his death, Kanyi had refused to buy a policeman a beer at a local bar - leading to an altercation.
Following this, four policemen broke down the door to his house in the middle of the night and ordered Kanyi to come out.
As Kanyi came out with his hands in the air, he was shot twice in the chest. His body was found in a coffee plantation the following morning.
In a bid to cover up the crime, the perpetrator and his colleagues falsely alleged that Kanyi had attacked the policeman with a machete - forcing him to shoot in self-defense.
When IJM Kenya learnt of Kanyi’s case, a team of dedicated lawyers began working alongside the prosecution to get justice for his grieving family.
IJM counsellors also supported Kanyi’s elderly parents and his wife, who had been left with two young toddlers in her care.
IJM lawyer Edward Mbanya argued in court that the officer – who had training on how to use firearms - acted unlawfully and contravened his police training and the National Police Service Act.
The judge convicted him of manslaughter, ruling that the policeman hadn't intended to kill Kanyi but to arrest him when he went to his house that night.
"There was no urgency on the matter to necessitate them to go and effect an arrest at midnight... I find the circumstances of this case such that the force used was excessive,” the judge said.