Revealed: Officer captured on CCTV stealing from invigilators took Sh1,300

A male police officer captured on camera ransacking bags belonging to female teachers who were invigilating national examinations at a school in Bomet County on Monday, stole a total of Sh1,300.

The footage of the incident, which was captured by Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, was shared publicly and went viral.

The officer in full uniform and armed with an AK-47 rifle ransacked the teachers’ handbags in a room where they were kept as they invigilated the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) at Kimulot high school in Konoin constituency.

Bomet County Police Commander Mathews Mangira on Wednesday confirmed the incident stating that three of the female teachers who fell victim lost Sh900, Sh300 and Sh 100 each.

Mr Mangira said that as a rule set by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) to curb cheating among the candidates, invigilators are required to deposit all their belongings in the school’s principal’s office or any other safe area within the office premises.

“After supervising the exams and while on their way home, one of the teachers stopped at a shop and wanted to buy goods, she realised money was missing from her bag,” Mr Mangira said in a written brief on the matter to the Regional Police Commander Rift Valley.

Mr Mangira stated that the teacher called the school principal who went to the CCTV room and replayed the CCTV (footage). 

This is when it was realised that a male officer had entered the room and stolen from their (teachers’) bags.

“After the report was received, he was relieved of exam security duties and orderly room proceedings commenced. The proceedings will be forwarded to the regional CIPU commander today (Wednesday) by the County CIPU Commander Bomet,” Mr Mangira stated.

In the video that lasts 1:37 minutes, the police officer is captured walking into a room where he sat on a sofa set and started ransacking the handbags.

He is seen removing the money from the bags and stuffing it in his trousers’ side pockets before returning the bags to their previous positions and walking out of the room.

Mr Mangira said two police officers – a male and a female – whose names and service numbers are contained in a police report seen by the Nation were posted to the institution to provide security during the exams.

“CCIO’ (County Criminal Investigations Officer) office is equally active.

They have opened a case file which will be put before ODPP (Office of the Director of Public Prosecution) today (Wednesday) to give further direction as to the next cause of action. I have instructed that all these be expedited,” Mr Mangira wrote in the report. 

The matter has been reported at the Kimulot station which falls under Konoin Sub County police headquarters based at Mogogosiek trading centre.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Bomet branch executive secretary Malel Langat and his counterpart from the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Paul Kimetto have condemned the incident.

Mr Malel and Mr Kimetto said the officer should be dealt with by his seniors in such a manner that he will be a lesson to the other errant policemen.

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