NPS’ bid to prolong curfew ‘blue economy’ hits wall

If there ever will be a tabulation of instances the National Police Service (NPS) shot itself in the foot, the attempt to (mis)interpret the President’s curfew directive on Wednesday will definitely rank high.

We could have said up there where police officers direct bullets when firing in the air but it might not be an apt illustration because they sometimes pump bullets into apartments, harming or killing innocents in the process.

The announcement on the lifting of the 10pm-4am nationwide curfew was at the tail-end of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Mashujaa Day speech. 

It saw Kenyans jumping for joy but police, who wear blue uniform and are known for their appetite for bribes – you may call it the true blue economy – did not want Kenyans to spend too much time toasting to that. 

The men and women in blue were out to arrest the situation.

What followed might have made some ordinary Kenyans think the “p” in police stands for “party-poopers”. 

Just hours after President Kenyatta’s speech, the service tweeted, saying though the curfew had been lifted, bars were to close at 7pm. 

Closing time for bars

Then another tweet at 5pm disputed that.

The NPS – headed by former spy Hillary Mutyambai – fired a new tweet at 7.27pm. 

One might have been forgiven for thinking that police were sticking to their guns, though it was hard to tell which ones.

“Existing measures on closure of bars by 7pm remain in place for now. Enforcement of violation of this measure to continue,” the tweet said. 

The post was still on the NPS Twitter account yesterday, reminding one of an old, rusty, written-off police van nesting on rocks in front of a chief’s camp.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe ended the confusion the following day by saying the closing time for bars and restaurants would be 11pm or the hours given by licensing authorities. 

It was the 21st of the month when Mr Kagwe said that and you won’t be overthinking to view it as a 21-gun salute to the unfortunate, hasty and conflicting police directives.

Police brutality

When assuming office as the third Inspector-General of Police in April 2019, Mr Mutyambai promised to foster deep relationship between the NPS and the public. 

He also pledged to ensure professionalism, adherence to the rule of law and respect of human rights.

However, actions by his juniors cast doubts on whether the police boss is the silver bullet. 

During the pandemic period, police have made wrong decisions, not least the brutality meted on ordinary Kenyans as virus containment measures are enforced. 

At least eight Kenyans have been killed by police. 

Lately, the NPS under Mutyambai – who was the Deputy Director of Counter Terrorism at the National Intelligence Service before taking the IG role – has been insulting the intelligence of Kenyans by giving unbelievable narratives of incidents, even those that happen in plain sight.

During a confrontation between police officers and activist Boniface Mwangi in Nairobi on October 8, which was captured on video, the NPS gave a rather strange statement.

Escape of detainees

It said Mr Mwangi injured himself as he attempted to cause distractions in a bid to help to aid the escape of suspects. 

The activist was not apprehended for resisting arrest or attempting to aid the escape of detainees. 

Kenya Revenue Authority also rejected the explanation, leaving police with egg on their berets and faces.

Senior police officers have also referred to journalists as mere bloggers and compressed the mountain of insecurity in Laikipia to a molehill.

The service has a thick carpet under which it sweeps issues, matters Mr Mutyambai and his charges always promise to investigate. 

Given the many blunders and the fact that Mr Mutyambai, a man from Mwala – not to be confused with Inspector Mwala – hardly shows up in public to articulate issues himself, the NPS still has a long way to becoming an agency with the “highest standards of professionalism” as it promises on its website.

As for Wednesday, one song begged to be played to the men and women in blue: “They see me rolling, they hating…”

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