Police dismiss pickpocketing incident during Sonko’s arrest despite viral video

The National Police of Kenya (NPS) has dismissed claims that one of their own was pickpocketed during Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s arrest on Friday 6 December.

In a video that went viral during the arrest, a police officer is seen quickly snatching something his colleague's pocket. The officer in charge is then seen looking into his pockets as if something had been taken from him.

The video had many Kenyans talking online, with most of them being certain that the police officer had pickpocketed his senior colleague.

However, NPS on Sunday 8 December said that the video is a ‘misrepresentation’ of what happened.

“The video clip doing rounds on social media highlighting what appears to be an act of pickpocketing by a police officer is a misrepresentation of facts and untrue,” NPS said.

Thieves in uniform. A junior officer pickpockets his senior while they were arresting Sonko... pic.twitter.com/YG9qQ8Q4bq— Mike Musa (@MuhangaMike) December 7, 2019

NPS also says that the officer in charge confirmed that nothing was taken from him during the Governor’s arrest.

“The Officer in Charge of Traffic Voi has confirmed that he was not pick pocketed. Equally, the police command in Voi has confirmed that the officer in question is disciplined and of high integrity,” concluded NPS.

Kenyans on social media, however, took to the comments section to disagree with NPS. 

Look at the way the senior officer reacts...
These guys are trying to paint a good picture of themselves— Bethmar Mburu (@bethmar_mburu) December 8, 2019

???????????? lakini sometimes you do take us as fools with no eyes n brains. Well if the Officer in charge of traffic Voi was not pickpocketed, then he was so lucky, because from the clip the junior officer actually tried to pickpocket his senior only that he was not successful.— Thomas ™???????????????????????? (@thomskan82) December 8, 2019

????????????????Hii defense iko down. Okay, give us a clear 'edited' footage and an explanation— Hillary Kipronoh???????? (@h_kipronoh) December 8, 2019

kenyans aren't stupid, Sonko arrest exposed the police mbaya sana. Work on damage control, police pick pocketing their own

— Jakoredo (@mzeegt) December 8, 2019

But the video shows otherwise, these are people who everyone has lost Trust in them.— Amosuk (@Amosuk4) December 8, 2019

maybe what you saw is totally different from what we've been seeing!!! ????????— Mejja wa GITUGI (@mejja_mwangi) December 8, 2019

Honestly if you make us believe what you are saying yet we saw it clearly....how can we believe other things we don't see?— Mr Mwanzo (@Maquiz_W) December 8, 2019

Then what was he looking for when he felt that the phone wasn't there actually he looked back several times.— son of fate (@ibrahmaankada) December 9, 2019