MP threatens to lead residents storm police stations in Garissa

GARISSA COUNTY: Residents of Lagdera Constituency, Garissa County have given the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo a 5-day ultimatum to take legal and disciplinary action against a senior police officer, who is alleged to have shot and critical wounded a form four student on Friday, failure to which they will storm Modogashe and Banane police stations in protest.

Meanwhile, doctors at Garissa Referral Hospital, where they boy was attended to since Friday night have Sunday referred him to Kijabe Missionary Hospital.

Speaking to The Standard on phone the Lagdera Member of Parliament (MP) Mohamed Shidiye said his people are justified to storm the Banane police station, where the accused officer was in-charge and Modogashe police station, where he was currently moved after the incident.

Shidiye said "I will lead my constituents in their planed protest march to storm the two police stations and make sure they are closed for good. We don't need stations that harbour rogue officers coming into our area harassing and shooting them at will, when no action is being taken against them"

He added:  "By allowing the ‘killer’ officer to still hold firearm and move freely among the families and relative whom he seriously wounded their son tells us that, it is okay to act in disregard to the laws of the country"

The Jubilee MP said Kimaiyo should take action against the senior officer and pay medical expenses for the injured boy.

"As the area leaders we demand that the officer involved in the reckless incident to be immediately apprehended, dismissed and taken to court to answer charges of harming an innocent Kenyan, whom he is supposed to protect", he added.

The form 4 student at Banane Secondary School in Lagdera constituency was allegedly shot severally by the officer who was seemingly drunk at the time, after they boy demanded to have his phone taken forcibly by police officer returned to him.

An eyewitness Abdirahman Abdi said "The senior officer took the student s' phone by force unprovoked and when the student demanded for his phone back the office threatened to shot him dead and few minutes later he made his threats true by shooting the teenage boy ."

Contact for comment the North-Eastern criminal investigation boss Musa Yego said, the matter was being investigated by the deputy OCPD and Lagdera district criminal investigations officer and relevant disciplinary measures will be taken against the officer if he is found of capable.

"I'm not sure if the accused officer is still armed, if that is true it's not procedural and I will inquiry to establish why. But on the issue of him being transferred to Modogashe shouldn't be construed to mean that we are protecting him, it is just to a matter of getting him out of the sights of the enraged public in Banane" he said.