Court bars DCI from posting suspects’ photos on social media

Director Criminal Investigations George Kinoti at the Kenya school of government./ EZEKIEL AMING'A
Director Criminal Investigations George Kinoti at the Kenya school of government./ EZEKIEL AMING’A/ The Star

Have been in touch with Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ (DCI) official twitter account? Well, then you might have come across them posting photos of suspects, whenever they make any arrest. Do you support this idea of exposing suspects on social media? If you support, then the Court must have differed with you! The High Court has barred Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet and Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti from posting mug shots of suspects on social media before they are arraigned.

Justice Wilfrida Okwany issued temporary orders on Friday restraining the DCI and IG from posting photographs of suspects being booked at the police station on the internet, specifically on their Twitter and Facebook.

In a petition filed in court by Henry Shitanda, he argues that posting the suspects’ pictures on social media before they are charged is against the law.

Shitanda says the actions are not sanctioned in law even in the National Police Service Act.

He says the suspects are entitled to privacy rights as enshrined in the constitution.

Kinoti has been posting suspects’ photos through twitter account DCI Kenya whereas Boinnet has been using National police service twitter account to post suspects.

In the photos they post, the suspects are forced to hold posters displaying their official names and age, before their photos are taken as seen in this post below.

Do you support the Court’s order to bar them from posting photos of the suspects?

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