NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar, 9 -The National Police Service (NPS) is on spot, after a CCTV footage emerged showing several officers stealing from an eatery that sells alcoholic drinks in Kayole area in Nairobi County.
The rogue officers are seen breaking into Mossy Tavern, Bar and Restaurant in the busy Soweto neigbourhood.
CCTV Footage seen by Shahidi News shows at least six officers breaking into the premises at around 11pm on Sunday before going on rampage and looting spree till 1am, in the latest of such despicable incidents involving law enforcers.
The facility had been closed and no one was inside during the raid by police.
“I am a hard working businessman who respects the law. I have the documents the government gave me to run my business and now they are hurting me. What does the government want me to do?” the proprietor, Moses Mwangi said.
“These are not police officers they are criminals.”
The officers as seen in the footage, went to the facility armed with axes and broke through the metallic door and locks.
They are then further seen lobbying a teargas canister into an empty bar before proceeding to break the metallic bars leading to the cashier’s working station.
It is here, where one officer is seen squeezing through the bars as he proceeds to raid the cash box at the same time remove alcoholic beverages from the shelves before proceeding to stash them in carrier bags.
He later passes the bags to his colleagues who were waiting on the other side.
“We closed the bar at 9pm and proceeded to count the money we made Sunday night. We were done counting by 9:30pm and proceeded home. By that time we had about Sh112,000 in the cash box. They broke into it and stole everything. In fact they even stole my mobile phone,” a visibly agitated Mwangi said.
Several brands of alcoholic beverages were also stolen as recorded on the CCTV Footage.
It remains to be established why the officers would commit such a crime knowing all to well the establishment was under CCTV surveillance as they then proceeded to destroy sleeping quarters, also run by the facility, by breaking furniture and windows, and harassing innocent people that were sleeping.
“From the CCTV I was able to identify one of the officers, I know him. These are the people that are supposed to protect us but they are behaving like criminals and hurting us,” he said during an interview with Shahidi News.
Hellen Akinyi, a hostess at the bar told Shahidi News that they initially thought it is thieves who had robbed them dry but were later shocked to learn that they were police officers.
“This is stealing, no two way about it. They broke in and destroyed the property and stole our goods. Apparently they think this is the way to make quick money. It is very sad,” she said.
At an apartment complex next to the facility, Mercy Owino was clinging to her young daughter while battling coughing complications after police also lobbed a teargas canister that fell inside their home.
“At 11:30pm we heard an explosion, then our landlord came out screaming and telling people to get out since a teargas canister went off outside her corridor. I ran with my children who were coughing and washed their faces with water. They however kept screaming and crying because of the pain they felt,” Owino said.
Several children in the apartment complex were treated and released from hospital.
They all had developed breathing complications.
Another resident, Rosemary Kathure, said the police joked about the incident when they were asked to explain their actions.
Residents are now calling on the police to be careful and execute their duties without resulting to brutal force at the expense of innocent civilians.
“Police are very arrogant when they do these things most of the time we don’t know, they should treat us well and only apprehend people breaking the law, ” another resident identified as Wycliffe Ochieng said.
Njiru Sub-county commander Paul Wambugu said the matter is yet to be reported.
He however said stern action will be taken against officers violating the law.
“Officers will be liable for committing anything illegal. We are asking those affected to report the matter in order to commence investigations.” the Sub-county commander said.
Residents in Soweto have in recent weeks accused police of meting violence on them in the guise of enforcing COVID-19 and curfew regulations.
Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has directed the Internal Affairs Unit to probe the incident.
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