Civil society decry police graft at roadblocks
Civil society groups are pessimistic that extension of curfew and cessation of movement may not help in flattening the curve of coronavirus if the corruption allegedly perpetuated by police officers will not be dealt.
In statement to newsrooms, Presiding Convener Civil Society Reference Group (CSRG) Suba Churchill poked holes on the new directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday alleging that police officers manning different roadblocks are partly to blame for allowing people to move after receiving bribes.
“Kenyans have witnessed with shock on national television as police officers take bribes to allow individuals to freely move into and out of Eastleigh Estate in Nairobi, and Old Town in Mombasa in broad daylight,” he said.
In particular, Churchill cited a case in April where Kenyans watched as returnees from outside the country staged daylight escape from quarantine at the Kenya Medical Training College in Nairobi but no action was taken against them.
“The government is yet to explain what action it took against police officers who were on duty manning KMTC at the time of the dramatic escape by the returnees, some of who have since been arrested and can explain how they were able to escape without being noticed by law enforcement agencies,”he said.
