•Cases of police being involved in crime have been on the rise but authorities argue they have internal mechanisms to address such incidents
•The officers are usually disciplined internally, demoted, taken to court or sacked depending on the nature of the crime.
At least eight police officers were at the weekend arrested for being involved in crime in two separate incidents in Nairobi.
The latest group of four officers to be arrested was in Buruburu where they were accused of demanding with menace and soliciting bribes from licensed wines and spirits joints.
This was after the dealers complained to the Buruburu police bosses of the activities of the four constables.
An operation was mounted Saturday and they were all arrested. A police parade to identify the accused persons was planned for Sunday as part of the probe into the claims.
Another police was arrested in Busia for dumping the local Occurance Book into a pit latrine to beat justice.
On Friday, four other officers based at Langata police station in South C were arrested over claims of robbery with violence.
They were arrested by their colleagues from Serious Crimes detectives after they abducted a man at NextGen Mall on February 6, 2022, at around noon and forcefully demanded money from him.
Police investigations have shown the man who had requested for a taxi by the roadside along Mombasa Road, was accosted by the officers before being forcefully bundled in a waiting Subaru, that had five occupants.
While in the vehicle one of the officers forcefully transferred Sh40,000 from the victim’s Mpesa account to his Mpesa account.
They then proceeded to the victim’s apartment where they took a further Sh270,000 (USD2,400)from him, before dumping him at Choma Zone located at Total petrol station along Mombasa Road, after a two-hour ordeal.
The following day, the victim went to Akila police station to make his report, only to find the vehicle he had been bundled into parked at the station.
He changes and went to the DCI headquartes where he reported the matter.
Police say investigations were launched immediately and the serious crimes detectives established that the vehicle indeed belonged to DCI Langata.
The officers were arrested and identified positively by the victim, in an identification parade conducted at the DCI headquarters ahead possible arraignment on robbery with violence charges.
DCI George Kinoti said the officers actions are not a reflection of the service.
“Their actions are isolated indiscipline cases that do not represent our moral values and what we stand for."
"We are an investigative body that is responsive to the security needs and requirements of every Kenyan and such acts do not in any way define who we are,” he said.
He said they have internal mechanisms they use to address such cases and warned police officers found on the wrong side of the law that stern and prompt action shall be taken against them, in strict fidelity to the law regardless of the service they are from.
In the Busia incident, officials said a police constable was arrested for throwing their OB into a pit latrine at Butula police station.
He apparently intended to destroy evidence where he had been charged for slapping a female colleague in the same book.
Cases of police officers being involved in crime have been on the rise amid efforts internally to address the trend.