Residents of Kamulu location in Athi River sub-county have accused police officers of harassing innocent members of the public.
Speaking at an assistant county commissioner’s public baraza in Kamulu administration police post on Tuesday, the locals said the officers from Nairobi County had become a nuisance to the community.
“Some of the police officers from Kayole Police Station in Nairobi County are turning innocent Kamulu residents into criminals,” said the residents’ spokesman who sought anonymity for fear of victimization.
He said the officers had created fear among the residents who had come together to fight crime that is highly experienced in the area.
The spokesman said there was a culture of police harassing members of the public who were willing to volunteer information on criminals in the region so as to silence them.
He said the officers’ operations and hostility were indications that they were working in cahoots with criminals who were giving them sleepless nights on a daily basis.
The resident said two locals were unlawfully arrested, tortured and detained at Kayole Police Station cells by the officers after being seen giving information on a local TV recently.
“A thief was shot dead by officers from Kamulu Police Station after he was caught in the act stealing goats from a home in Kamulu but even after the station confirmed that he was shot by their officers, certain officers from Kayole Police Station arrested the duo claiming they are the ones who executed the killing,” said the spokesman.
He said the officers had been compromised by the killed thief’s mother to punish the two for boldly giving information on the media about the incident.
The victims Peter Magonya and David Gitari said prior to their arrest, the woman bluntly said they would be punished for publicly speaking out on the son’s killing.
“We have for a long time had serious insecurity in Kamulu, armed robbers regularly break into our homes to steal goats, cattle, donkeys, money, electronics and households. I do not have anything left myself, eight of my cows were recently stolen after a spate of robberies in my home,” said Magonya.
Magonya said the officers who arrested them for speaking to the press threatened to kill them.
“The officers who arrested me at night took more than four hours to get me to Kayole Police cells. They demanded that I take them to homes of the other people who addressed the media on the incident. They also wanted to know all homes which had been raided in the area,” said Magonya.
He said the officers hit him on the head using pistols for failing to corporate.
The residents said the officers twisted the story and charged the two with demanding bribes from a woman and shooting the criminal.
They said they will pursue the matter with relevant authorities to ensure the officers are punished for colluding with criminals to terrorize the locals.