Watchdog blames 'disproportionate force' by Kenya police for protest deaths
Kenya's police watchdog has accused officers of using "disproportionate force" to quell a recent series of protests during which 65 people died. In a report released on Thursday, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) linked most of the deaths to actions by the police. It also highlighted the role of opportunists who infiltrated the protests – described as "goons" – who "undermined the principles of peaceful assembly". Over the past six weeks, there have been four separate days of demonstrations which were called over police brutality and anger at government policies. The first in the capital, Nairobi – on 12 June – was "largely peaceful", the Ipoa report says. It followed the death in custody of a young teacher and blogger, Albert Ojwang, which the police initially said was a result of self-inflicted injuries. Since then three police officers have been charged with his murder. Follow link for full story...