Nairobi News

Police in Nairobi are holding three law enforcement officers who were arrested for conducting unwarranted arrests in the Central Business District (CBD).

Police corporal Cliff Ombati stationed at Uhuru Camp, KDF lance corporal Ben Shiundu from the 15 Kenya Army in Mariakani and prison warder Eugine Shivachi based at Wajir GK Prison, were detained after they were busted conducting illegal arrests.

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the trio made a mockery of crime fighting efforts by various agencies to guarantee public safety and security.

In a statement, DCI said the three officers had embarked on an arresting spree targeting boda boda riders, who they arrested on trumped-up charges and demanded bribes from them.

Their plan backfired when they stopped motorcyclist Cyrus Mwangi on City Hall Way and took his motorcycle.

They are reported to have harassed the rider and demanded a bribe of Sh4,000 to release his motorbike which they had impounded.

A curious bystander is said to have alerted two uniformed police officers who were on patrol in the area about the activities of the three officers.

The two police officers then confronted them, resulting in a violent brawl forcing members of the public to join in to help the officers subdue the three suspects.

“It took the combined efforts of the officers on patrol and members of the public, to subdue the three miscreants who had left their places of duty hundreds of kilometers away, to reap from the sweat of hardworking Kenyans,” DCI said.

The two officers who were on patrol sustained serious injuries during the scuffle and are being treated at a health facility in Nairobi.

Two handcuffs were recovered from the three arrested officers during the arrest.

The KDF corporal has since been handed over to the military police while his two colleagues are in custody pending their arraignment on Thursday to answer to charges of extortion by threat, impersonation, and possession of government property.