Afande Denno: I was strangled by DCI officer over protest clips

Police officer Dennis Munyao alias Afande Deno, during an interview at his local Machapo Food Kiosk at Kwandege in Embakasi, Nairobi. He was arrested for allegedly recording the recent Gen Z protest in Nairobi [Boniface Okendo, Standard] Police officer Dennis Munyao alias Afande Denno has claimed that one of the fellow officers who arrested him on Friday night in Pangani, Nairobi, strangled him. The officer, in an interview with The Sunday Standard said that he was with his cousin in Pangani when five men approached them, saying they needed to talk to him. He agreed to follow them only to be asked to enter a Subaru. Fearing for his life, he fled only to be arrested not long after. That is when one of the officers allegedly strangled him. "They took me in the car and drove towards the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters," he said. He says that during the ride to the DCI headquarters, the driver of the vehicle kept asking him why he is giving the National Police Service (NPS) a bad image, and why he was freely interacting with Kenyans. At the headquarters, Munyao says that he was interrogated for around 45 minutes, with the officers seeking to know why he was participating in the demonstrations. Armed with a camera, Munyao was in the streets when Kenyans within Nairobi demonstrated seeking to have Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat resign over the killing of Albert Ojwang in police custody. On Wednesday this week, he was again in the street with his GoPro camera along Outerring Road, where he was documenting police battling protestors at Taj Mall. He posts the content on his TikTok page and YouTube channel. "During the recording of my statement, I felt at home, and they treated me well." This session included questions surrounding the time he went to the streets and when he went home. "I told them that I went to the streets at around noon and I left at around 5:30pm, and there are videos to show it," said Munyao. The detectives also asked whether he witnessed any looting and if he knew the people behind it to which he said no. The questions also surrounded Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino, with the police seeking to know his relationship with him and whether he knew who was funding the demonstrations. "I told them I only know Babu Owino as a politician and I have never met him, so I do not have a relationship with him." Ironically, the officer makes most of his content from Embakasi South, whose MP is Julius Mawathe. The DCI officers took his phone for forensic analysis and asked him to get it tomorrow. Munyao joined the NPS in 2017 and was posted to Kagaa, Kiambu, before he was moved to Kware, Nairobi. He was then posted to Dagaharey in Garissa County this year. At the Kware Police Station, he was involved in community policing where he ran a Community-Based Organization that sought to reform youths in the area. Munyao believes that NPS should focus more on community policing as a way to fight crime and not the use of force. "The police should leave their offices and come to the ground and meet the people there, that's where they will get to know the problems ailing our communities." He said that is what has endeared him to the youth in Mukuru kwa Njenga and Kware areas, and it has helped reduce the rate of crime. The officer says that he does not fear repercussions from NPS after conducting an interview with the media since he is not a commissioned officer allowed to speak to the media. "I have only spoken about what I think the image of the police should be like; I have not abused anyone," said Munyao. He said that some of the restrictions in the code of conduct are colonial and should be reviewed and updated. He likens his content creation journey to athletics, volleyball or football, where some police officers are involved and allowed to do interviews. "I just want the police to have a good image with Kenyans." He asks his colleagues to be kind to Kenyans, and they will love them back and make policing easy. "We need to have good police officers who help our community by not killing our youths and showing them the way instead." His TikTok page has more than 274,000 followers and more than 4.4 million likes, where he regularly posts about his life in the NPS. He also has several endorsements with different entities, including a flight company and a tours company.

Afande Denno: I was strangled by DCI officer over protest clips

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