Court stops DCI, Police from posting mug shots of suspects online

Mug shots of suspected criminals will no longer be posted online after the High Court issued orders stopping the Inspector General of Police and the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) from posting the photos online pending the hearing and determination of a case filed in court. High Court judge Wilfrida Okwany issued the orders on Friday December 7 after Henry Shitanda, a Nairobi resident moved to court seeking to have the two institutions stopped posting the photos from social media platforms. “That a conservatory order and be and is hereby issued restraining the Inspector of General Police and Director of Criminal Investigations from posting suspects and or accused person booking photographs and on the internet and social media and more and more specifically on the DCI Facebook and Twitter pages pending the determination of the petition,” ruled the judge. In his petition, Mr Shitanda argued that posting of suspects’ photos online before they are charged in court is an infringement of their rights. DCI and The National Police Service have been sharing photos of suspects holding mugshots online mostly at times to warn the public of the character of the persons in question. Shitanda avers that posting of the photos is unconstitutional. The matter is set to be mentioned on March 5, 2019. Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett and DCI boss George Kinoti have been named as respondents in the case.