IPOA Says It Has Run Out of Funds, Seeks Help in Investigating Ojwang’s Case

Police oversight body struggles with expired equipment licenses as violence during protests raises accountability concerns

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has sounded the alarm over critical funding shortages that are severely hampering its ability to investigate police misconduct and hold officers accountable for their actions.

IPOA Chairperson Isaak Hassan revealed that the authority was forced to seek external assistance to retrieve and analyze crucial CCTV footage in the investigation of teacher Albert Ojwang’s death, despite owning sophisticated equipment capable of performing the task.

“To contextualize, IPOA had to request external technical support in the retrieval and analysis of the DVR footage from Central Police Station, yet it owns modern Cellebrite equipment that can do this,” Hassan explained during a recent briefing.

The irony of the situation became apparent when Hassan disclosed that the authority’s own equipment sits unused due to expired licenses that cannot be renewed because of insufficient funding.

“This equipment could not be used because the license is expired and has not been renewed because of lack of funding,” he stated.

The funding crisis comes at a critical time when IPOA is investigating several high-profile cases, including the fatal shooting of Ojwang and injuries sustained during protests demanding justice for the deceased teacher.

Hassan reported that during monitoring of recent demonstrations, IPOA documented at least 13 serious injuries, including the shooting of Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, who remains hospitalized in intensive care following the incident.

“The fatal shooting of Ojwang and the recent point-blank shooting of Kariuki highlight glaring gaps in police professionalism, especially in handling public order and protecting the rights of arrested persons,” Hassan observed.

In response to Kariuki’s shooting, police constables Klinzy Barasa Masinde and Duncan Kiprono have been arrested and interdicted.

Both officers are currently under investigation by the DCI Homicide Unit.

Kariuki is reported to be in stable condition at Kenyatta National Hospital after undergoing successful surgery.

Police spokesman Michael Muchiri acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating: “The National Police Service deeply regrets this unjustified act and commiserates with the victim and his family, while reaffirming its full commitment to ensuring justice is served.”

Hassan emphasized that IPOA’s work is guided by Article 244 of the Constitution, which governs police conduct in Kenya.

He appealed for increased support to boost the authority’s operational budget, technical capacity, public awareness efforts, and equipment upgrades.

The IPOA chairperson reminded both the public and police that the Sixth Schedule of the National Police Service Act requires any use of force resulting in death or serious injury to be reported to IPOA – a requirement he says has not been consistently followed.

He called on the Inspector General of Police to ensure full compliance with legal frameworks to restore public confidence in the police service.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has documented 22 injuries during Tuesday’s protests across Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale counties.

KNCHR Vice Chairperson Dr. Raymond Nyeris reported that most victims suffered gunshot wounds, head injuries, whiplash, blunt force trauma, and asthma attacks due to teargas exposure.

The commission condemned the use of violence and accused police of deploying masked individuals to infiltrate the protests.

“The commission condemns the arrest of protesters including four human rights defenders in Mombasa, despite being peaceful and having duly notified the police in line with the law,” KNCHR stated, demanding their immediate and unconditional release.

Despite the challenges and provocations, KNCHR praised most demonstrators for remaining peaceful throughout the protests.