Pressure builds on Ipoa over deaths of Kwale man, minors
Carol Katana
Civil society groups yesterday continued to pile pressure on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) to speed up a probe into the alleged killing of a father and his two children by police in Diani area, Kwale, last week.
Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid says the family of Ramadhan Mohamed Chitswa alias Spanya, killed in a botched operation by Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) who were searching for illegal firearms on Friday last week, must get justice.
“We have reported the incident to Ipoa who have commenced investigations. We have also secured services of advocate Yusuf Abubakar to represent the family in court to seek justice,” he added.
Mohamed and the two lads: Swalha Chitswa (four) and Ramadhan Chitswa (six) were buried in an emotional send off ceremony on Sunday at his Kibundani home.
The killing has sparked off protests from family and civil society organisations, who have termed it as extra-judicial.
“As human rights organisations Haki Africa condemns the incident as it involved deaths of minors who had barely began living.
As a country, we must assess how we handle security operations and ensure innocent lives are not needlessly lost.
To see lifeless bodies of children on slabs of mortuaries with serious wounds is heartbreaking,” he said.
Khalid urged Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to intervene and ensure justice is served to the family, saying they did not deserve to die.
Kwale police commander Joseph Nthenge said Mohamed and his children were shot after he threw a grenade to the officers. He said the man was using the two children as human shield.
“The officers were preparing to break into his house, the suspect suddenly opened his door and threw grenade to the officers injuring one of them, his act prompted the officers to fatally shoot him alongside his two children he was using as a shield, he said.
Mwanahalima Mwachili, the wife of the deceased and three others: Mohamed Ramadhan Chitswa, Khalfan Ramadhan and Said Abdalla sustained with gunshot wounds and are admitted at the Msambweni Hospital under tight security.
The woman who was eight months pregnant also lost the foetus after a bullet ruptured through her stomach.
