ODPP Orders Investigation into Property Destruction During Recent Protests

On Monday, July 1, 2024, Renson Ingonga, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Kenya, issued a significant directive to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)

This order called for the immediate commencement of a comprehensive investigation into individuals suspected of involvement in the recent vandalism of both private and public property across the country.

In an official statement, Ingonga provided specific instructions to DCI detectives. He mandated that upon completion of their thorough investigations, the resulting inquiry files should be promptly forwarded to his office for further legal action and potential prosecution.

He highlighted that the decision was primarily motivated by the tragic loss of lives and the extensive destruction and vandalism of property that had occurred, with particular emphasis on the events of June 25, 2024. This date appears to have marked a significant escalation in the unrest. A part of the statement by the ODPP read,

Ingonga took a firm stance, issuing a stern warning to all Kenyan citizens. 

He specifically addressed those who might be planning to invade and destroy property, including critical government infrastructure such as the parliament building and county offices. 

The DPP emphatically urged such individuals to abandon these destructive intentions immediately. This came after police were also prohibited by the High Court from using teargas, water canons and bullets on protestors.

He characterized these activities as acts of hooliganism and promised that they would be met with the full force of the law, indicating a zero-tolerance approach to such behavior.

Warning to Those Protesting Today and in The Future

In his statement, Ingonga also took the opportunity to clarify the legal boundaries of civil rights in Kenya. 

He emphasized that while the right to assemble, demonstrate, and picket is protected, it is not an absolute right. These freedoms, he explained, are limited by the need to protect lives and property. The DPP stated that,

He further elaborated on the potential consequences of future violent acts,

This directive from the DPP came in the wake of recent actions by DCI detectives. 

Just hours before Ingonga’s statement, the DCI had publicly released images of individuals alleged to have participated in looting during the recent demonstrations.

The DCI detectives provided additional context, explaining that they had initiated investigations into looters who had exploited the chaos of last week’s protests for personal gain. 

They assured the public that stringent measures would be taken against those found guilty of such opportunistic crimes. The DCI detectives noted,

They also revealed that some arrests had already been made, with suspects arraigned in various courts on the day of the statement. However, they warned that many more suspects remained at large, potentially waiting for future opportunities to engage in similar criminal activities. Ingonga said,