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INSIDE STORY: Crackdown on ‘snitch’ officers after Wajir attack photos leak


The National Police Service has launched a hunt for suspected moles within its ranks who have access to confidential information or intelligence and are leaking it to the public.

The leaks are being given to specific people, especially those with a big following on social media.

Opinion over the leaks is divided, with some officers within the force arguing that they expose the rot within the service and operational hindrances affecting their fight against terrorism.

The leaking of the Wajir attack photos, which showed bodies of dead Administration Police officers being piled in a pickup, has been cited as an example.

Police authorities have however argued that the Wajir photos were taken and distributed by Al-Shabaab militants with the aim of glorifying acts of terrorism. They say all policemen in the convoy died in the attack except one who surfaced days after the photos had gone viral on social media.

Blogger Robert Alai and prison warder Patrick Safari Robert were on Wednesday arraigned in court over alleged sharing of photos of fallen officers in the Wajir attack.

Blogger Robert Alai (right) and prison warder Patrick Safari Robert in court on June 19, 2019.

Nairobi News has established that a section of junior police officers have opened up a WhatsApp group called DKC where they share crucial information about operations within service.

In a series of chats seen by this reporter, the police officers to air their grievances on work related matters.

The police officers drawn from various parts of the country also share information as soon as they get it.

The group’s administrators scrutinize every new member before allowing them to join.

“Manze tuchunge raia wasiingie hapa juu this is the only place sisi huongea juu ya shida zetu,” a message by an officer posted on Tuesday reads.

Another one says; “Hapa siku hizi watu wengi ni raia – Admin amelala inafaa achangamke.”

The junior officers resort to such platforms to air allegations against their bosses, including attaching documents as part of evidence.

The kind of information is suspected to be later leaked to social media influencers and bloggers.

Nairobi News has established that detectives attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation headquarters are in pursuit of a police inspector attached to Kahawa West AP Post who is believed to have leaked images to Robert Alai.

“A police officer at Kasarani is the one who shared the images with Mr Alai. We want to find out how he got them and why he shared them,” said an officer familiar with the investigation.

The wanted police officer, Inspector Wilfred Maiyo, was arrested on Wednesday. He was arraigned in court on Thursday where the Director of Public Prosecutions asked for 15 days to finalize investigations