Lawsuit filed against Instagram over police payroll, officer activities during demonstrations
In the heart of Kenya's legal system, the Inspector General (IG) of Police, Douglas Kanja, is currently embroiled in multiple court cases, addressing issues of police brutality and payroll management.
Regarding police brutality, the High Court fined IG Kanja Ksh 500,000 in compensation to rice farmer George Gakono, who suffered injuries due to excessive use of force by police. Gakono accused Kanja and others of failing to investigate assault and torture complaints, and of violating national and international human rights conventions. The police officers involved argued that they were arresting Gakono for unpaid water levies and faced violent resistance from the public [1].
A separate lawsuit, filed at Milimani High Court, seeks compensation for victims of alleged police brutality during the 2024–2025 protests. The petitioners call for judicial action to address these abuses [5].
On the payroll management issue, IG Kanja faces a lawsuit accusing him of illegally taking over the police payroll from the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), the body legally responsible for this function. The case was filed by Sheria Mtaani, a Mathare-based NGO, and lawyer Shadrack Wambui, who argue that this takeover is unconstitutional and contravenes established procedures [2][4].
The IG has also been accused of failure to appear in court on some occasions, citing engagements in other security-related duties [3].
In summary, IG Douglas Kanja is facing court cases on two main fronts: - Police brutality lawsuits concerning excessive use of force and failure to investigate complaints during protests and individual cases; - Legal challenge over the police payroll management, with courts examining the legality of his alleged takeover of payroll functions from the National Police Service Commission.
These cases collectively reflect significant legal and governance challenges in Kenya’s police administration as of mid-2025. The IG has also been separately sued for failing to take action against police officers involved in maiming or killing protesters. The case accuses the police bosses of violating the law for failing to account for their juniors' conduct.
References: 1. IG fined Ksh 500,000 over excessive use of force 2. Sheria Mtaani sues IG over payroll management 3. IG dodges court over payroll row 4. NPSC, IG locked in payroll row 5. Police brutality case filed at Milimani High Court
- The legal battle against the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, encompasses the areas of politics and general-news, as he faces court cases for police brutality and a legal challenge over the police payroll management.
- The allegations of police brutality against IG Kanja, including violations of human rights conventions and excessive use of force, are substances of interest in both health and crime-and-justice discourses.
