Insecurity threat after rogue officers flout curfew rules
At least 20 security officers, including a senior police officer, have been arrested across the country for contravening curfew orders in the last two days.
Another General Service Unit (GSU) constable who was interdicted over disciplinary issues was also arrested in Ruaraka after they were found ‘enforcing’ curfew orders.
In Nairobi, a Kenya Prisons Service warder and an Administration Police (AP) officer attached to the Critical Infrastructure Unit (CIPU) are some of the officers who were arrested for contravening the orders.
“Some of them were found in drinking joints while others were found in churches. They will not be taken to court but will be dealt with departmentally,” the Nairobi Police Commander Philip Ndolo said yesterday.
Police headquarters also said that the Sega Police Post commander Inspector Hussein Abdulahi was arrested after he turned rowdy when he was found drinking in a bar around 8.30pm.
The officer who is believed to have been drunk drew his pistol forcing the team to retreat.
Ukwala OCS Chief Inspector Timothy Kwemoi then joined the team and managed to disarm, and then arrested him.
“Inspector Abdulahi attempted to draw his pistol again but the officers acted swiftly and disarmed him.
During the arrest, he assaulted the OCS and injured him on the head,” a report from the police headquarters reads. Inspector Abdulahi was also injured on the head and the left and left hand, according to the report.
In another case in Ruaraka, police officers on patrol stopped three men riding on a motorcycle.
They were searched and found with a police communication set, a pair of police handcuffs serial number KP/IE/000217, and a whip.
They identified themselves as officers from the GSU headquarters and senior officers at the headquarters were contacted.
“The gang is said to have been extorting from members of the public while posing as police officers,” a senior officer told the People Daily.
It was then established that one of them was indeed a former GSU officer but had been interdicted for having been involved in criminal activities. The two other members of the public were identified as Pascal Etyang and Titus Ndirangu Kimani.
Concerns have been raised on the conduct of some police officers especially those enforcing the curfew orders amidst reports that they were using unjustified and brutal force in dealing with members of the public.
Several human rights organizations and the police oversight body, the independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) have launched investigations into the reports.
