Members of Nyumba Kumi initiative in Athi River sub county have been banned from conducting raids because they have no mandate to do so.
Addressing a security meeting at Mlolongo Primary School in Athi River on Monday, the area deputy county commissioner Kodeck Makori said members of both Nyumba Kumi and Community Policing neither have capacity nor legal mandate to conduct raids.
"I caution members of Nyumba Kumi and Community Policing initiatives from Athi River to desist from mobilising themselves to conduct raids either at night or during the day, these initiatives are not vigilante groups and vigilante groups are illegal," said Makori.
Makori said members of the initiatives should monitor and evaluate any criminal activities or illicit acts by criminals or suspects in their respective clusters and report to authorities such as provincial administrators or police for speedy intervention.
He said community policing members can only accompany police officers to raids and patrols if they are either requested or assigned by officers commanding stations but cannot decide to effect arrests on their own and without the officers.
"The members of the two groups should be ready to give timely and accurate information to the police to conduct raids and effect arrests, even chiefs cannot conduct raids on their own without being accompanied with police officers," said Makori.
Makori said though chiefs are legally mandated to conduct raids, some criminals are dangerous since they conduct their criminal operations while armed with dangerous weapons including fire arms while chiefs are not armed, thereby putting their lives on the line, but police officers are.
He equally cautioned members of the groups against being violent to members of the public while trying to solve problems among them, "solving conflicts should not be violent. If it is violent, then you are also infringing the law and action will be taken against you," said Makori.
Makori said the meeting meant to sensitise members of Nyumba Kumi and Community Policing initiatives on their roles in combating crime was attended by more than 100 members of the groups from Katani and Mlolongo locations within the sub county.
"Some of them thought having joined the groups, they had gotten jobs and would be paid for their services at end month. These are voluntary engagements hence those engrossed in them should not extort the residents," he said.
He said his office will continue conducting more sensitization meetings in all locations in the sub county to expound on roles of Nyumba Kumi and Community Policing members by clarifying their roles and putting records straight for their existence as security agents in the community to help the national government effectively combat crime in the region.