Former Central Police Sub-County Commander Doris Mugambi has denied authorizing any operational orders during the anti-government protests that took place in Nairobi on July 20.
Mugambi dismissed suggestions that police used live ammunition for protest control.
However, she did confirm that a firearm was stolen during the chaos and pointed to the possibility of private firearm holders within the CBD being linked to the shooting incident.
Testifying before the court, Mugambi stated that no special arrangements or operations were made in anticipation of demonstrations on the said day.
According to her, only routine briefings were conducted, as no intelligence reports had indicated potential unrest.
“I did not deploy any officers,” she told the court. “Deployment falls under the jurisdiction of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), who then reports to me.”
Mugambi clarified that the sub-county police commander does not have direct supervisory authority over junior officers and stressed that operational decisions, including issuing deployment or tactical orders, are made by the respective OCSs.
She further noted that no official operation order was issued on July 20, reiterating that the protests were unplanned and spontaneous.
Mugambi added that stations such as KICC, Parliament, Kamukunji, Central, and Ngara—all under her oversight—had not received any special directives from her or the Nairobi police headquarters.
On the matter of protest-related casualties, Mugambi told the court she had received reports of fatalities from Chief Inspector Kiberia Ekisa of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), but clarified that investigative reports do not fall within her command.
When asked about individual officers, Mugambi said she did not know Corporal Isaiah Murangiri, noting she may not remember every officer by name. The court later granted an application to summon Murangiri for further clarification.
She explained that AlfaMine, a covert anti-mugging unit operating in various stations, may be armed at the discretion of the OCS, but remains under the station’s command.
“Headquarters cannot give direct orders to junior officers at the station level,” Mugambi stated. “Command is earned through station leadership.”
She also dismissed the possibility of informal or verbal instructions being given, insisting that all communication must follow formal procedures.
She denied knowledge of any spent bullets being recovered at the scene and maintained that, based on reports she received, no officer discharged live ammunition during the protests.
“There was no command from me,” she said firmly. “No discussion took place regarding the police response. Officers are trained to exercise individual judgment when responding to emerging situations.”
The hearing is scheduled to resume from July 16 to July 23, when further testimony and directions are expected.
By Were Kelly
