This archive report was first published on 23 April 2020.
Kenya's security agencies, established to protect citizens, have been criticized for their handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The police service, in particular, has been accused of being the weakest link in the fight against the virus.
Since the announcement of the dusk-to-dawn curfew, there have been numerous reports of police brutality, including fatal beatings, shootings, and harassment. These actions are in direct contradiction to a presidential directive that implored officers to handle those who flout regulations reasonably.
On April 14, Base commander George Naibei was attacked by rogue boda boda riders in Malindi while enforcing anti-Covid-19 regulations. The incident resulted in a violent confrontation, with a police car being extensively damaged and a Kilifi county askari injured.
Naibei was seen fighting with a boda boda rider in a viral video, while several other riders cheered their colleague on. The situation became a free-for-all, with Naibei eventually escaping under a hail of stones.
Eight men were later arrested for the violence, and dozens of motorcycles were impounded. The incident attracted the attention of Governor Amason Kingi, who organized an impromptu stakeholders meeting with police, boda boda riders, health officers, businessmen, and other stakeholders to address the issue.
Despite the dozens of roadblocks on the Mombasa highway, police have been accused of allowing travellers to slip through for a fee. This defeats the purpose of the curfew and lock-down measures.
A spot check by The Standard at the Likoni Ferry crossing showed many policemen not wearing masks or wearing them improperly while in public. This is not the only rule they flout.
On April 14, two senior police officers were arrested in Kisauni while on a drinking spree past the curfew hours. They have neither been charged nor heard from since.
Former chairman of the Commission on Administrative Justice Otiende Omollo has criticized the police highhandedness. 'As the president issues decrees, CSs pronounce edits, governors declare orders and police proclaim threats, let us remember that the constitution and the law are not on suspension. With all necessary and reasonable measures, let us fight the virus, not the victims,' he said yesterday.
