Ipoa to investigate police assault on men playing pool in Nandi Hills

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) has launched an investigation into an incident in which several police officers were captured on CCTV assaulting men playing pool in Nandi County.

In a statement on Friday, January 16, Ipoa boss Issack Hassan said the incident affected several other establishments in Nandi Hills town, including bars and hotels.

“Several victims and witnesses have been identified and contacted,” said Hassan.

He noted that before the video was posted on social media, no one had lodged a complaint with the authority and urged Kenyans to make formal complaints when such incidents occur.

“The Authority condemns any use of unnecessary and unwarranted force in policing, calls for calm as it undertakes investigations, and reaffirms its commitment to impartial inquiries and the promotion of accountability and professionalism within the National Police Service,” he noted.

Ipoa said the assault in the eight-minute video, widely circulated on social media, took place on January 10, 2026.

In the footage, the officers are seen entering a room, ordering the men to lie on the floor, and demanding identification cards as they assault them.

After several minutes, an officer believed to be their senior is heard ordering them to withdraw while issuing threats related to playing the game.

The Ipoa statement came hours after several leaders, including Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, called for action.

Taking to X, Cherargei urged Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to interdict and suspend the officers.

“This is also to pave the way for independent investigations to be carried out,” he wrote.

He added that playing pool is not an offence under Kenyan law and said he had engaged the National Security Committee in the Senate to urgently look into the matter.

“We are in contact with the youth involved to ensure justice is served to them,” Cherargei confirmed.

Embakasi MP Babu Owino demanded that the officers be arrested and arraigned in court to face assault charges.

According to the legislator, no law in Kenya requires one to carry identification cards at all times or prohibits playing pool at night.

“Even where a law is alleged to have been broken, police cannot act as arresting officers and prosecutors, nor can they serve as judges,” Owino added.

Lawyers Willis Otieno and Cliff Ombeta also called for the officers’ arrest, saying they must be held accountable for their actions.