Tough life of NEP’s police officers

By Boniface Ongeri

A siren on a pole at the Garissa Police Station blares at startling decibels and it can be heard many kilometres away. The moment it goes off, every police officer at the station and the living quarters nearby makes a frenzied dash for firearms and hops into the next available vehicle in the yard in a matter of minutes.

The triggering of the sirens means only one thing these days — an Al Shabaab militant related attack has been executed.

Since the Islamist group began their terror attacks to protest the Kenya Defence Force incursion against them in Somalia a year ago, being a security officer in North Eastern Province has been a risky affair. This is because the group targets security officers.

On Sunday, a grenade attack in a Garissa church withing the Administration Police quarters killed one officer.

Death and fear of maiming follows these officers, who have been on call 24 hours a day in the last one year, everywhere. In that time, 15 of them have lost their lives.

Some officers told The Standard that when they wake up in the morning and tie their belts, they thank God for a new day and pray for safety throughout the day. They also pray for their colleagues because when an officer falls, they see “ourselves in him or her. It is traumatising”.

But they say they can’t run away — they have a duty to serve the public.

“In any war there is always a price to pay; but we soldier on,” says an officer.

Always on duty

The officer, who spoke to us on condition we protect his identity, said the daily leisure activities such as sports their colleagues elsewhere enjoy were long forgotten. They are always on duty.

“It doesn’t matter whether one is on day or night duty, patrol or at a stationary position like an instalment. Everyone is always on the lookout; always on duty. For us, death lurks everywhere,” he says.

The officers say they often receive phone calls from their family and friends in other parts of the country who enquire about their safety whenever an attack is reported.

“Some tell us to resign from the force for our own safety but doing so will be giving victory to the militants. Once an officer, always an officer.”

Some officers say if they had an option, they would quit because their bosses don’t understand the nature of their work and reward it.

They say they are often not given allowances for special assignments like tackling the militants while putting their lives on the line.

“We have an extra duty of handling external aggression besides the internal criminals but whenever we raise this issue we are told it is a duty. We believe there is some sought of allowances for such activities but we don’t see anything,” an officer said.

Some say they are frustrated and this sometimes leads to security lapses.

Vendetta

They said some officers are  sent to the province as punishment for some misconduct or vendetta.

“Such a person is demoralised. How can he or she be in charge of security? For sure, they will respond with little urgency. I know of an officer who has been here for more than 15 years — in the same rank,” lamented an officer.

The situation is made worse by indecent housing and poor of remuneration.

Garissa County Commissioner Mohammed Maalim said the officers also need counselling after what they experience in the course of duty.

“They are also human. They are people’s brothers, sisters, daughters and sons. They need our support.”