Off the wire
• Africa Focus: Somali children still vulnerable despite signing of UN convention  • Iran, Russia vow to counter "common challenges"  • Zambia's ruling party candidate confident of winning presidential race  • Iran ready to talk with Saudi Arabia over diverse issues: official  • Kenya, U.S. mull measures to boost trade and direct flight  • 1st LD: British jihadist who faked his own death admits terror offences  • LME base metals mostly rise on Tuesday  • Genetic changes in Ebola may impede potential treatments: study  • FTSE 100 closes higher on Tuesday  • Lower oil prices, devalued euro provide impetus for Austrian economy: central bank  
You are here: 　 Home

Africa Focus: Kenya probes use of teargas on school kids

Xinhua, January 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Kenyan government on Tuesday launched investigation into the conduct of police officers who tear-gassed school children who were protesting the grabbing of their playground on Monday.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and the UN children's fund, UNICEF, including other political leaders called for thorough investigations in the conduct of police as well as relevant government officials who were failed to take action.

Kenyatta particularly censured the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission for failing to address the Langata Road Primary School land issue until it got out of hand resulting in the protest on Monday.

He said while action will be taken against the police who tear- gassed protesting pupils, Ministry of Land officials and those of the National Land Commission will also not be spared.

"We will begin to take action against government officials who fail in their mandates," he vowed when he launched the Kenya Foreign and Diaspora policies.

"I am disappointed at what happened at the Langata Road Primary School. Where were the officials from the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission? The issue has been there since December, why didn't they act then?" he said.

Time had reached for action to be taken against government officials who failed in their duties, Kenyatta said, the head teacher of the school should also answer questions about the incident.

"How could he (the head teacher) allow young children under his care to behave the way they did. Even when we want to protest, we must do it in a civilized manner and not involve children," the president said.

The Kenyan leader emphasized that government officials must take their duties seriously.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has teamed up with Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), a civilian body empowered to investigate police misconduct, which has assigned 11 investigators to the case.

IPOA chairman Macharia Njeru said the police should have never been involved in a dispute over a piece of land.

"If anything, they should have been there to protect the children, not beating them up and tear-gassing them. Considering the public interest in this matter, we have to move quickly," Njeru said.

The students were in the front line of people pulling down a wall erected around the playground, which has been acquired by a private developer.

The children had returned to the school after a two-week teachers strike to find the play area fenced off by a private developer.

In its statement, UNICEF expressed deep concern about the use of tear gas by the Kenya Police on and around the school children who were protesting the sale of their playground. Endi