Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen Friday warned the government will not tolerate ‘barbaric’ acts allegedly perpetrated against the citizens by law enforcement officers.
Murkomen while reacting to a viral CCTV clip showing armed police officers assaulting young men who were reportedly playing pool in Nandi Hills town, termed the incident as breach in law, and in-dignifying.
Speaking at the Coast where he met with the region’s lawmakers , Murkomen said the conduct exhibited by the officers fell far below the standards expected of the National Police Service.
“The incident is barbaric. It is unacceptable, unconstitutional, and inhumane,” the CS said.
While reaffirming his support for police officers who act professionally and within the law, Murkomen drew a firm line against criminal conduct within the service, stating that police brutality will not be tolerated.
“I will continue to defend police officers who are prosecuted while carrying out their lawful duties, but I will not defend officers who commit crimes. The issue of police brutality is one we must deal with firmly and conclusively,” he said.
The CS also warned that officers found culpable would face dire consequences in accordance with the law.
“The Inspector General of Police has already deployed a team from the Internal Affairs Unit, and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has also launched investigations. Any officer found guilty will face dire consequences, including dismissal from the service,” he stated.
Earlier, the National Police Service announced that it had deployed a team to investigate the incident and submit a report within three days, adding that appropriate disciplinary action would be taken against any officer found culpable.
The team from Internal Affairs Unit arrived in Nandi and talked to the accused officers and victims.
Further, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) also condemned the incident, confirming that it had dispatched a Rapid Response Investigation Team to Nandi Hills to establish the circumstances surrounding the assault.
The authority reiterated that any officers found to have acted unlawfully would be dealt with in line with its mandate.
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