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Ipoa has asked the Kilifi North subcounty police commander to form a community policing committee to mend strained relations between the Ngerenya police officers and residents.
This comes barely a week after residents protested against harassment by station officers whom they accuse of soliciting bribes from small-scale traders and the residents.
The Independent Policing and Oversight Authority on July 23 inspected the Ngerenya police station after residents, with the help of InformAction, also presented a petition against the station.
InformAction is a human rights organisation that uses film and community discussions to get ordinary people to speak out and take action against malpractices.
“From the inspection and preliminary inquiry conducted, the authority noted relations between the police and community are strained," Ipoa Coast regional coordinator Rashid Wekesa said in a letter dated July 28.
Ngerenya residents in Tezo claimed officers at the station, where cases like defilement are increasing, are taking the law into their own hands. They are 'prosecuting' and sometimes delivering 'judgments' within 24 hours.
Suspects who part with bribes often go scot-free after hours of arrest, say residents who staged a protest march from Tezo market to the station, about three kilometres away.
“We are tired of being harassed by these officers. We want them transferred and new ones brought in,” Hellen Jefwa, a community leader at Tezo, said.
Jefwa said some officers at Ngerenya police station sometimes arrest women and girls and force the girls to have sex with them if they don't have bail money.
Ngerenya Community Volunteers chair Claxton Mwalimu said cases of early pregnancies, defilement and child labour are on the rise and are prosecuted at the police station with suspects 'fined' before they are let go.
“It is believed freedom for arrested suspects is sold at throw-away prices at the station,” Mwalimu said.
However, Kilifi North subcounty police commander Jonathan Koech said investigations into the residents’ claims have been launched.
Koech said police exist to maintain law and order and anything contrary to that is wrong.
InformAction community action team leader Samuel Wandimi said InformAction is ready to help bring the residents and police offices together to mend their relations.
“A community that lives in harmony with police will prosper," Wandimi said.
Wekesa said several defilement cases are pending at the police station. He and called on Koech to audit the status of all pending defilement cases reported at the station to ensure they are handled to conclusion.
“The victims of these cases should be adequately informed about their cases,” Wekesa said.
He said the station should have adequate, skilled and experienced personnel deployed to investigate defilement cases.
Koech said he will ensure residents work closely with police to improve their strained relations.
(Edited by V. Graham)
