Six Kayole police officers face charges after bar theft captured on camera

Police officers caught on CCTV stealing

The Director of Public Prosecutions has ordered the arrest and prosecution of six police officers, who were captured on surveillance cameras stealing from a bar in Kayole, Nairobi, earlier this year.

All the officers including an inspector, who was in charge of the raid, are from the Soweto police station.

The suspects will be charged with breaking into a building and stealing contrary to section 306 of the Penal Code.

The officers are reported to have broken into Mossy Tavern which is located in Soweto on the night of March 3, 2021.

They allegedly arrested several revellers for contravening curfew orders and then went to the pub's counter and took money and alcohol valued more than Sh100,000.

The video of the incident, which was captured on CCTV cameras, went viral on social media. 

The matter was investigated by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) and the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU).

After reviewing the case file, the DPP concluded that there was no evidence that the pub was operating during curfew hours.

Additionally, the DPP said that the officers were justified to break into the pub but broke the law when they proceeded to the counter to steal money.

The DPP further said that even though the officers compensated the owner of the pub by paying him back the stolen money, the case was of public interest and the agreement was therefore not binding.