Didmus Barasa calls for accountability from police over youth killings
Member of Parliament for Kimilili Constituency, Didmus Barasa, has called for swift action against police officers implicated in the extrajudicial killings of young people, saying no one, regardless of rank, should be above the law.
Speaking during an interview with K24 TV on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Barasa expressed concern over the extrajudicial killings of young people, emphasising that Parliament has already taken a firm stance and expects the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to take appropriate action.
“As far as the killing of young people is concerned, parliament, we put our feet down and said there is nobody who is above the law in this country. Whether you are a police officer of whatever rank, you must be accountable,” Barasa said.
The MP stressed the importance of following up on investigations carried out by the IPOA, which is mandated to probe police misconduct.
He noted that IPOA had completed investigations into several cases, submitted reports, and forwarded the files for action.
“The agency that is supposed to investigate police officers is the IPOA. It carried out the investigations, gave out the report, and forwarded its files,” he added.
Barasa promised that, as a Member of Parliament, he would push to ensure the files do not gather dust in government offices. He called for immediate action to bring justice to the victims and their families.
“As a member of parliament, what we are going to do is that those files do not gather dust but must be action,” Barasa stated.
Call for accountability
Barasa’s push for action aligns with recent calls by Martha Karua, who has urged President William Ruto to take responsibility and ensure those implicated in extrajudicial operations face the law.
Karua, in a statement shared on her official X account on May 12, 2025, called on Ruto to go beyond acknowledging the issue of abductions in Kenya and take action against security officers implicated in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
The PLP leader also urged Ruto to hold accountable those security officers who have not only been involved in abductions but also in extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances that have plagued the country for years.
“Now that @WilliamsRuto has acknowledged abductions, he needs to go further and acknowledge extrajudicial killings and disappearances and the role of security forces in this and take steps to have the culprits, including those captured in the #BBCDocumentary, held accountable. #JusticeForVictims,” she said.
