Yesterday, Kenyan human rights activist Boniface Mwangi was roughed up by a GSU officer after a confrontation with officials said to be from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
In a tweet thread, Mwangi said he was at the barbershop in Pension Towers located along Loita Street when several young men walked in with a General Service Unit (GSU) officer.
The police and the men who identified themselves as KRA officers arrested a receptionist at the shop prompting Mwangi to ask the officers to produce their ID cards.
The incident caused a stir online with netizens calling on the DCI and relevant authorities to address the issue.
In a new development, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has defended the officers involved in the saga adding that they were only doing their duties.
Read: Boniface Mwangi Roughed Up by GSU for Demanding KRA Officers Identify Themselves
According to Mutyambai, the Police officers in the clip were on lawful assigned duties of assisting KRA officers to enforce Nairobi County Government in revenue collection obligations as part of their mandate.
The IG furthers states that the activist was defiant to the law and obstructed the officers from conducting their duties adding that he created unnecessary drama.
“The activist persisted in his ‘identification’ argument despite the police officers being fully dressed in their official uniforms; also being armed with official weapons. And notwithstanding that the exercise was conducted in broad daylight,” the statement reads in part.
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Earlier, KRA responded to the viral video alerting netizens that all KRA staff on duty must always provide identification before entering one’s premises.
1/2 Our attention has been drawn to the tweet below. Kindly note that all KRA staff on duty must always provide identification before entering your premises. Additionally, we urge the public to utilise the #Thibitisha KRA staff using our imposter detection system. @KRACare https://t.co/oVA8gtkbXM pic.twitter.com/sB6qHbwoTY
— Kenya Revenue Authority (@KRACorporate) October 8, 2021
Mwangi has since reported the matter at the Central Police Station and the Independent Oversight Policing Authority (IPOA) under number IPOA/CMU/2318/2021.
“I reported my assault by armed General Service Unit officers at Central Police Station yesterday. I also reported the matter to Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) case number is IPOA/CMU/2318/2021. Make your cover-up make sense,” he wrote on Twitter.
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