Police not to blame for violence in UDA rallies, Bruno Shioso says

Deputy President William Ruto during a past UDA rally. [File, Standard]

The National Police Services says it has never played any role in some of the violence witnessed during Deputy President William Ruto’s rallies.

This comes a day after Ruto’s party, United Democratic Alliance (UDA), wrote to President Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing the police of being biased in investigating violence experienced during its rallies.

Police spokesperson Bruno Shioso now says UDA’s allegations are “false and baseless”.

“The allegations are utterly baseless and false in nature, and are maliciously intended to injure the reputation of the National Police Service and its officers,” he said.

Shioso said UDA had not lodged formal complaints, and, therefore, the police service did not have an inroad into the investigations.

Through their chairperson, Johnson Muthama, UDA alleged that ODM plotted violence against its rallies in Jacaranda, Embakasi East, and that police did little, or nothing, to bring the perpetrators to book.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has since denied any involvement.

Muthama said UDA had made at least six reports to Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, but none of the reports was acted upon.