A police accountability organization has expressed concern about criminality involving police officers.
According to the Police Reforms Working Group-Kenya, the National Police Service (NPS) is losing credibility and trust among the public as a result of criminal acts committed by some officers (PRWG-K).
The lament came just days after an exposé, “Aiding and Abetting,” aired on Sunday, revealed that officers from the Pangani Police Station allegedly helped a foreigner escape from lawful custody.
Mr Hussein Mumin Hassan was convicted of illegally entering Kenya and sentenced to two months in prison. He was supposed to be deported after serving his sentence, but he was illegally released from detention.
Through a middleman who arranged for Hassan’s release, the rogue officers are said to have made off with Sh190, 000.
According to PRWG-K, this was not the first time that police officers had their criminal activity exposed.
The group claimed that there were also claims of kidnapping, assault, and violent robbery against the officers.
“We expect the rogue officers to be stopped, taken into custody, and tried in court. Our country’s safety and security cannot be allowed to decline while we stand by and do nothing, the group said.
According to the group, four Lang’ata Police Station officers were detained in February of this year on suspicion of robbery with violence.
Another police officer from the Mea Police Station in Meru County was detained on charges of defiling a 16-year-old girl, and a further officer from the Butula Police Station in Busia County was detained for allegedly throwing the Occurrence Book in a pit toilet to elude arrest.
The group demanded that the NPS’s Internal Affairs Unit look into the officers and make recommendations to the Inspector-General of Police for possible sanctions.
It was regrettable that Yunus Samir, the OCS of Pangani Police Station, is still in charge despite being accused of rape and assault among other alleged human rights violations in the past.
