Nairobi’s worst police stations
Pangani and Soweto police stations are today revealed as the deadliest in the city.
For suspects held there are more likely to die than at any other police station in Nairobi.
The stations have recorded the highest number of deaths in custody, with nine at Pangani and eight at Soweto.
The figures are for last year, up to January this year.
These stations of shame are followed by Shauri Moyo (six deaths), Kilimani (4), Dandora(4), Industrial Area(4), Githurai Kimbo (3) and Kahawa Sukari (3).
Worst of the lot, Pangani, in Starehe division, used to house the dreaded Flying Squad.
On the other side of the coin Capital Hill, Parliament, Lang’ata Muthangari and Buruburu stations are safest for suspects, with only one dying in each. The report by the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) shows 63 suspects died within the city’s police stations last year.
Central police station is shown as the place where most survivors of police gun battles succumb to their injuries.
The station recorded three deaths from shootings while Dagoretti came second with two deaths. They are followed by Buruburu, Jogoo Road and Huruma which recorded one death each.
Most deaths
However, because a police station recorded the most deaths did not necessarily mean it was the most notorious, said IPOA’s head of corporate communications Gladys Some-Mwangi.
“It could be that the station is most transparent and compliant in record keeping. Some stations could be worse on various ills committed against citizens but the cases were not recorded,” she said.
The report reveals a total of 239 complaints against the police by the public.
It analyses the nature of complaints and has also taken up complaints by the police themselves against their superiors.
Lack of action by police on allegations reported to them ranked the major complaint, registering a third of all grievances. Closely following complaints of inaction were allegations of police harassment, accounting for 27 per cent.
These include a new trend of intimidation and blackmail in the estates where police are unleashed on debtors, said Mrs Some-Mwangi.
“We are now seeing people using police to ask for debts or even rent. Landlords or agents send plainclothes officers to debtors and this amounts to intimidation,” she said.
Central was ranked most notorious for harassment with seven reported cases while CID headquarters was ranked second with six.
Like CID headquarters on Kiambu Road, the police HQ on Harambee Avenue and Nairobi Area HQ on Ngong Road fared badly over harassment, recording three and four cases respectively.
Following Central with cases of harassment were Huruma (4), Kasarani (4), Kileleshwa (3), Nyayo Stadium (3), Starehe (3) and Kamukunji (3).
Complaints of abuse of office constituted the bulk of police complaints against their bosses and was ranked third with 14 per cent of all cases.
Assault by officers came fourth with those complaining about bribery and other corruption related cases scoring only six per cent of all the cases reported to IPOA.