The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) has called for an immediate probe into the killing of a schoolgirl, Jacinta Achieng’, in Kisumu on Tuesday, May 2023.
FIDA, through a press statement, appealed to the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) to speed up the investigations for justice of the student.
“We appeal to IPOA to conduct investigations into this unlawful killing of Achieng,” reads the statement in part.
The body asked the Inspector General of Police (IG), the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) to exercise their mandates to ensure that justice is served to the victims.
The justice defender for women criticized the security agencies for failure to uphold human rights to life as enshrined in Article 21 of the constitution.
They accused the police of failing to abide by the principles requiring barring them from the abusive use of firearms, terming the killing of Jacinta as a criminal offence.
Further, FIDA also called on the government to investigate all alleged police killings documented by human rights organizations, many of which have never been mentioned.
This is in addition to the unjustified use of excessive police force in pursuit of a crime that led to an aimless shooting hence killing Jacinta Achieng.
“All Kenyans have the right to life, freedom of assembly and expression and the work of the police is to protect these rights, read the statement.
Jacinta Achieng’ a form two student at Rangala Girls was killed by a stray police by a stray police bullet in the Kisumu Jua Kali area while going for back-to-school shopping.
According to her mother, Jacinta had been out of school for the better part of last term for lack of fees and she was to resume school after his brother decided to pay her school fees