VOCAL Africa has called for the immediate installation of CCTV cameras in all police cells and for independent investigations into deaths in custody, after documenting 22 such cases in Kenya so far this year.

In a statement on Friday, August 14, the human rights group said many of the deaths were initially reported as suicides inside police stations, but there is often little independent evidence to show what happened before a detainee was found dead.

“Every such death must be subjected to an immediate, independent and credible investigation,” VOCAL Africa said.

The organization wants CCTV cameras installed to operate around the clock in police cells and other custody areas. It also wants footage to be securely preserved, with clear safeguards to prevent officers from switching off, deleting or interfering with recordings.

According to VOCAL Africa, a working surveillance system would help establish the facts in disputed cases and also protect police officers from false accusations.

“There should be no reason why, in 2026, deaths continue occurring inside police stations with little or no independent evidence showing what happened in the hours preceding a detainee’s death,” the group said.

The call for CCTV comes months after the government announced similar plans. In July 2025, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said surveillance cameras would be rolled out in police stations across the country within two years, as part of wider efforts to strengthen accountability and reform the security sector.

VOCAL Africa argues that rollout must be immediate, not phased over years, given the number of deaths being recorded in custody.

The lobby said its concerns go beyond deaths in custody. The group reported that it has documented more than 70 people killed in police shootings this year, including 20 during fuel-price protests.

“Twenty-two documented deaths in police custody and more than 70 deaths through police shootings in close to eight months are not mere statistics. They represent lives that should not have been lost,” the group said.

The organization urged the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to speed up investigations into deaths involving police officers and to improve communication with affected families.

Delays and lack of updates, it said, have left relatives in the dark and eroded public trust.

VOCAL Africa’s demands come a day after Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja warned senior commanders that they could be held personally responsible for crimes committed by officers under their watch.

The group welcomed IG Kanja’s remarks but said they must be followed by action against officers where investigations establish individual liability.

“ The Inspector General has said officers will carry their own cross. Kenyans need to see action. If officers are to carry their own cross, then officers credibly implicated in unlawful killings, torture or other criminal conduct must be investigated and, where sufficient evidence exists, arrested and prosecuted,” it said.

“Station commanders also have a responsibility for what happens inside facilities under their command."

On Wednesday, Police IG Douglas Kanja warned that any police officer found culpable in the death of a suspect while in custody will face immediate disciplinary and criminal action, with no protection from the service.

Speaking during a sensitisation forum on New Service Standing Orders and Police Reforms at the National Police Leadership Academy in Ngong, Kanja stated that the National Police Service (NPS) will uphold the rule of law, respect for human rights, and will not shield officers involved in misconduct.

The IG said the NPS has noted with concern a rise in cases where suspects have died while in police cells, and that such incidents continue to erode public trust. He told police commanders that the trend was unacceptable and issued a direct order on accountability at station level.

“Let me be very clear, for any death occurring in police cells, the occurrence book (OB) recorder, the cell sentry, and the duty officer must be interdicted immediately pending investigations into whatever happened. That is something that you, as the commanders on the ground, must ensure happens,” Kanja said.

He directed all police commanders countrywide to enforce proper booking procedures, ensure medical checks are done on all persons brought to cells, and guarantee humane treatment while suspects are in custody.