Recruits in a parade during the 146th pass-out ceremony of 3969 recruits at Kenya Police College Kiganjo in Nyeri County on March 23, 2018.
Cases of senior police officers routinely harassing their juniors have been documented for many years, yet abuse of power continues in law enforcement across the nation.
According to a recent report by the Internal Oversight Policing Authority, officers in lower cadres accuse their seniors of authorising irregular dismissals and transfers. But in the same vein, there have been cases of junior officers disrespecting their seniors.
Then there are those juniors who misuse their firearms in the line of duty, especially when dealing with civilians. It’s not uncommon to see an officer storming a bar with a gun to ‘arrest’ his enemy, just a few minutes after an argument with the same person.
Lately, cases of unruly junior officers have spiralled. Discipline seems to be at its lowest ebb in the National Police Service. There has been a notable increase in cases of defiance, insubordination and rebellion of junior officers against their seniors.
On March 16, for instance, three officers allegedly assaulted deputy Kabete Police Station DCIO Felix Kelian Kitosi.
The senior officer’s vehicle is reported to have been involved in an accident with a car allegedly owned by Joseph Mwenda aka DJ Joe Mfalme in Kikuyu. The three officers were later arrested in connection with the assault.
It hasn’t been established whether the three were aware of Kitosi’s rank within the service when the incident happened.
Kitosi later succumbed to his injuries. In March 2022, Kenyans were treated to a dramatic scene that was caught on CCTV as junior officers armed with guns accosted and humiliated their senior in a bar in Kasarani, Nairobi.
This was one of the most dramatic scenes of reckless exhibition of indiscipline and insubordination by a member of what is described as a disciplined force against their senior.
The senior officer, then the Kayole Sub-County Criminal Investigation Officer Jackson Owino at Seasons Lounge in Kasarani area, was waiting for his car to be washed when he noticed a lady puffing away and cautioned her against doing so in public.
Infuriated for being told not to smoke in a non-smoking zone, the lady walked out and returned with two officers who reportedly pointed a gun at the senior DCI officer, arrested him and fired four rounds from a Scorpion rifle and two rounds from a pistol. Then they frogmarched the senior officer to Kasarani Police Station and locked him up in the cells.
Identified himself
The officer was later released and the two rogue juniors locked up. All along, Owino, who is known for his marksmanship, remained calm despite being manhandled even after identifying himself.
In February, at Githiga Police Station, Kiambu County, a drunk junior officer was arrested after reportedly attacking his senior, who had tried to stop him from assaulting a civilian.
The junior officer had reported for his duty drunk and proceeded to chase out civilians who had come to file reports at the station.He also locked the gate. Colleagues were forced to wrestle the officer down before locking him up in a cell.
He was charged with violating the provisions of Section 64 of the Police Act, which require police officers to uphold Standing Orders and Code of Regulations. In December 2020, two constables attached to Mawe Mbili Police within Nairobi’s Ruai area were arrested for allegedly assaulting an Inspector who was returning home from duty.
The two were accused of attacking an Inspector attached to the Critical Infrastructure Police Unit (CIPU) as he walked home. Despite the victim reporting the matter to the Officer Commanding Ruai Police Station (OCS), where the duo worked, the commander neither initiated investigations nor reported the matter to his seniors.
It took the intervention of the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) for the two juniors to be charged. In yet another incident of insubordination, a police constable from Tigania East, Meru County, allegedly attacked Mikinduri Police Station OCS, Chief Inspector Patrick Wambugu, who had confronted him for being drunk on duty, according to a report made through OB24/01/12/2020. It was reported that the officer was scheduled to escort Meru Deputy County Commissioner Stephen Ogolla on a Covid-19 sensitisation exercise.
The junior allegedly punched his senior in the face and kicked him, before colleagues intervened to save the OCS. In October 2023, at Kericho’s Brooke Police Station, a junior officer allegedly assaulted his senior after an altercation over the use of a computer.
According to a report, OB 09/31/10/2023, the constable confronted Senior Sergeant Caleb Manani, seeking to know why he had accused him of misusing the station’s desktop. The constable allegedly pushed the sergeant to the ground and repeatedly punched him in the face, before colleagues intervened. The senior officer was rushed to Kericho Referral Hospital for treatment while the junior was detained to face disciplinary action.
