‪Court Bans Police Officers From Using Balaclavas And Masks During Protests‬

The High Court has directed the Inspector General of Police to ensure that police officers deployed to contain protest are in their uniforms with nametags affixed in line with standing orders.

High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye Wednesday direted that police officers must not “in any way hide or obscure their face so as to render them difficult to identify or unidentifiable”.

Justice Mwamuye also ordered the police not to obscure the identification, registration or markings of any vehicle while dealing with persons who is or planning on assembling, demonstrating, picketing or petitioning.

“Pending inter-partes hearing and determination a conservatory order is therefore issued that all uniformed police officers acting under direction and support of the National Police Service shall at all times affix a nametag or identifiable service number in a clear visible part of their uniform when engaging with persons who are who is or planning on assembling, demonstrating, picketing or petitioning and shall not remove or obscure the same,” the court directed in interim orders.

The Court directed the applicants to serve the Respondents through the National Police Headquarters for onward transmission and file Affidavit of Service by close of business on Friday, August 16.

The Respondents, who include the police, have until August 21 to file and serve their responses for the Application by the Law Society of Kenya on July 31.

“The matter shall be mentioned on September 17, 2024 to take further directions,” read the court papers.

The interim orders followed an urgent application by the Law Society of Kenya who sought orders restraining NPS from deploying plain clothed police officers in response to protests.