It is now becoming clear that rogue police officers have linked up with criminal gangs and are behind many of the robberies and carjacking taking place in Nairobi and its environs.
It is important to note that not all police officers are corrupt or engage in crime.
Officers from the Special Crimes Prevention Unit (SPCU) and the “Flying Squad” for instance, have some of the highest success rates in the police when it comes to apprehending dangerous criminals.
Lives on the line
Their officers work under extremely dangerous conditions and their lives are literally on the line every day.
The fact that three police officers from the Diplomatic Police Unit were gunned down by the SPCU illustrates the gulf that exists between the official stand from police headquarters and the reality on the ground.
Yes, the police are not very well paid and most are poorly housed, but is that an excuse for officers who have taken an oath to serve and protect life and property of all Kenyans to turn their guns on the very people whose taxes pay their salaries and allowances?
In any case, there are millions of Kenyans who earn less than a first year police constable but they do not become criminals. DPU officers guard diplomats and their offices so when a few among them choose to engage in crime, they send negative messages about Kenya to the rest of the world.
Why, for instance, has the OCPD in charge of Langata not listened to the concerns of the residents about a criminal gang that is operating with abandon near Deliverance Church and its environs? And why are so many police stations, including the one in Langata, so poorly equipped in terms of vehicles?
Are the plainclothes officers doing enough to gather intelligence on criminal gangs so they can be shut down? When police turn to crime, as happened in Mexico, they threaten national security.
