Anne Mumbi Njue

Anne Mumbi Njue nursing her 17-year-old son at Pandya Memorial Hospital in Mombasa after he was allegedly assaulted by a police officer at Nyali area while on his way home from the Public Beach in this photo taken on January 02, 2021. The form three student who suffered broken limbs was expected to resume his classes on January  06, 2021.

| Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group

Alarm as police officers turn against the public

What you need to know:

  • At least five police officers have been arrested for misusing their authority for personal gain in the past month.
  • Three officers and one prison warden have also died following incidents that revolved around abuse of office.

As Kenyans shake off the festive season hangover, reality has dawned on some that the security officers entrusted with their safety are among the threats they face.

The Nation has established that while effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and increased police presence improved security for millions of Kenyans, some officers went rogue and became the very threat they were supposed to eliminate.

At least five police officers have been arrested for misusing their authority for personal gain in the past month.

Three officers and one prison warden have also died following incidents that revolved around abuse of office.

On the afternoon of November 5, 2020 a tough talking police Inspector-General Hillary Mutyambai ordered his officers to stop arresting individuals caught flouting Ministry of Health guidelines related to Covid-19, and instead slap culprits with fines of up to Sh20,000.

Many officers obliged.

But even after Mr Mutyambai’s orders, police officers went ahead to arrest several people throughout the festive season.

Staggering loner raped

Exactly one month later, a woman was staggering around Clay City along Thika Road.

Constable Wilson Waruta was the only officer from Clay City police post that night, and he found the woman alone in a spot notorious for petty crime at around 2am.

As arrests can at times also be for a civilian’s own safety, it made sense to take the woman into custody. Aside from violating the nationwide curfew, being a guest of the state could have, after all, saved the staggering loner from the dangers of the night.

At the police post, the woman was the only detainee on the night. Mr Waruta allegedly raped and sodomised the woman at the station before releasing her back into the night.

Seemingly aware of his actions, Mr Waruta walked out of the police post shortly afterwards and has not been seen or heard from since.

The woman reported the incident at Kasarani Police Station the following day, and officers immediately started investigations.

Kasarani officers have determined that Mr Waruta has a case to answer and are hoping to have the constable charged. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest him, even as the investigation file is sent to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji to approve the recommended charges.

Mr Waruta’s case would become the first of many between December, 2020 and January, 2021.

A family was hosting an end year get together along Kileleshwa’s Othaya Road on December 20, 2020 when police officers stormed their home.

At least eight police Land Cruisers and a lorry parked outside the apartment block a few minutes before 9pm, and officers went ahead to arrest 30 individuals after a fierce verbal exchange.

Assaulted

Three foreign nationals present were released unconditionally, with the rest being bundled into the police lorry. Officers at the scene started assaulting some women before the arrest.

While Othaya Road falls under Kileleshwa and Kilimani police stations, the arrested individuals were driven to Muthangari where they would spend the night. Officers confiscated laptops and cameras found in the party venue.

All 30 individuals were thrown into one cell, where some officers assaulted some of the guests of the State.

At around 4am, everyone was released, with some women nursing wounds from the assault.

Denied police brutality

One of the victims, prominent radio presenter Angela Muiruri, tried unsuccessfully to report the matter to Kileleshwa, Muthangari and Central police stations. No station was willing to take their statements, and Mr Mutyambai issued a press release denying that there was any police brutality.

Deputy Inspector-General Edward Mbugua’s intervention eventually saw the matter reported at KICC Police Station. The Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) have since started their own investigations into the incident.

Ms Muiruri is a dual citizen of Kenya and the US, and the latter has since picked up the matter through its Nairobi embassy. The US embassy is monitoring the police and Ipoa investigations.

Officer demands for miraa

Mr Abdirashid Hamed was ferrying khat (miraa) to Gerile from Wajir on December 24, 2020. At around 7am police officer Ibrahim Isaack flagged down the vehicle.

When the officer noticed that the vehicle was packed with khat, he demanded that Mr Hamed give him one kilogramme of the popular drug. Mr Hamed refused, and on noticing that Mr Isaack was getting agitated, the driver sped off.

The police officer shot at the vehicle twice, and one bullet penetrated the back but got lodged in the consignment of khat.

Other officers from Wajir East Police Station visited the scene and disarmed Mr Isaack. An inspection of the gun revealed that Mr Isaack was missing two of the 90 ammunition rounds assigned to him. The officer was arrested pending further investigations.

On Christmas Day, police constable Michael Wambua was among several officers expected to patrol Kaptama area in Bungoma County. Patrol officers were to leave Kaptama Police Station together.

But as soon as Mr Wambua was issued with an AK-47 rifle loaded with 30 bullets, he dashed out of the station. The rest of the patrol team had not even arrived at the station for night duties.

The constable rushed to Bustani Bar, a popular watering hole in the town, and met the owner.

A heated argument ensued, and an enraged Mr Wambua drew his gun and shot four times into the roof of the establishment.

Another constable, Wilson Soita, was in the area and he rushed to the scene. Mr Soita disarmed his colleague before arresting him. Nobody was injured but Mr Wambua was arrested and taken into custody pending investigations.

For foreigner Werner Bance, the people entrusted to ensure his safety while visiting Mombasa turned against him.

Mr Bance was enjoying the sun and sand in Bamburi, Mombasa when a woman requested him to buy her lunch. He declined, but offered her Sh100 in return for peace of mind.

Extortion

The woman then made sexual advances to Mr Bance, who declined.

She reached for her mobile phone and made a call.

Minutes later, another woman and a man showed up threatening to have Mr Bance jailed for seven years if he does not part with €1,500 (Sh201,000). The frightened foreigner said he had €800 (Sh107,000) in his Hotel Indiana apartment.

They escorted him to Hotel Indiana but snatched his phone before instructing him to go collect the money. Mr Bance returned with the €800 and they released him. The foreigner went straight to Kisauni Police Station and reported the incident.

Some individuals were arrested in the course of investigations, including police officers. When Mr Bance was taken through an identification parade, he singled out two police officers as the individuals that extorted €800 from him.

Constables Tabitha Nduta and Patrick Muneria were arrested immediately. While in custody, the officers offered to return the money that they had already converted into Kenya Shillings. Sh106,000 surrendered by the constables is now part of the evidence that will be used against them in court.

Kirinyaga killings

On Sunday, police officer Bonface Mithamo went to visit his ex-wife Ms Esther Muthoni at the Mwea GK Prison staff quarters in Kirinyaga County.

Ms Muthoni is a warder at the correctional facility, and was having dinner with her children in the company of a colleague, Mr Kering Kipkosgei.

When Mr Mithamo walked in, he was angry at the sight of another man in his ex-wife’s house.

He attacked Mr Kipkosgei, who retaliated. Ms Muthoni was able to stop the scuffle and dragged her ex-husband into the kitchen.

Mr Kipkosgei was unwilling to back out of the fight and he followed the estranged couple into the kitchen, drew his work-issued Ceska pistol and shot at Mr Mithamo.

The bullet hit Mr Mithamo’s neck and exited from the left side of his head.

Mr Kipkosgei then walked out of the house and shot himself. Both were pronounced dead at Karira Mission Hospital.

Just a day before, Kamukunji Quick Response Unit officer Lawrence Ewoi shot two of his colleagues – Mourine Achieng and George Gitonga – after an argument.

Ms Achieng died at Kenyatta National Hospital while Mr Gitonga is nursing a bullet wound in his leg.

Mr Ewoi fled in civilian clothes, but was pursued by colleagues. After police tracked Mr Ewoi down, they tried to immobilise him by shooting his leg. Mr Ewoi, however, shot himself in the head before being arrested, the incident report indicates.

Detectives are probing several theories including a possible love triangle and a fight over money.