Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has condemned an incident in which police officers, captured in a widely circulated video, were seen assaulting young men who were playing pool in Nandi Hills.
Addressing a press briefing in Mombasa, Murkomen said the officers’ actions were uncalled for, asserting that such conduct has no place within the National Police Service.
“The issue of police brutality….is barbaric, unacceptable, inhuman, unconstitutional, and illegal. That is not what we expect of our police service,” Murkomen stated.
He confirmed that investigations into the incident are underway, with the Inspector General of Police informed and oversight bodies activated and all those culpable will answer to their actions.
“We have consulted with the IG, the Internal Affairs Unit has been deployed, and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has also sent a team to conduct investigations. Officers found to have committed these acts of brutality in Nandi will be arrested, charged, and, if found guilty, will lose their jobs,” he noted.
Murkomen reiterated that the government will not condone cases lawlessness in the service, making it clear that while officers performing their lawful duties would be supported, those who engage in criminal acts would not be protected.
“I have said before that I will defend police officers who face prosecution for doing their lawful duty, but it is not our job to defend police officers who commit crimes. What we see in that video, prima facie, is criminal activity, a conglomeration of police officers beating young people,” he said.
“In such cases, we must demonstrate that the National Police Service and the Government of Kenya do not condone police brutality. It is absolutely unacceptable,” Murkomen said.
