Cops Exposed for Hiring Uniform to Thugs at Ksh5,000

Police officers reportedly collude with criminals, hiring uniforms and weapons at a smaller fee. 

In Sigomere Police Station in Ugunja, Siaya County, police officers were accused of renting their police uniform to criminal gangs at Ksh5,000.

Ugunja deputy county commissioner, Felix Watikila, made revelations on November 17 while calling for a reshuffle. 

“How can police officers who have been given the mandate by the government to protect the people stoop to the level of hiring their uniforms to the thugs?” Watikila fumed.

A Kenyan police officer pictured at a crime scene.

Kenyans.co.ke

“If you can give civilians your uniform to commit crimes for them to pay you… you are selling your country to criminals for Ksh.5,000?” he admonished the officers.

The commissioner added that the police officers were enemies of Kenyans and the country for colluding with criminals.

Most police officers, he stated, had overstayed in the region and needed to be transferred to cut ties with the gangs. 

“There are those who have overstayed in this area, and we are going to remove all of them,” he vowed.

The commissioner spoke at a security baraza organised to address the high insecurity in the region. 

Watikila’s comments came at a time when the Interior CS, Kithure Kindiki plans to empower chiefs to fight insecurity.

“We are working towards reorganising ourselves between the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) and the police.

In April 2021, Citizen TV exposed how police officers aided crime syndicates by leasing out their weapons and uniforms. 

Investigative journalist, Purity Mwambia, managed to get a gun, a handcuff in the expose. 

Interior CS Prof Kithure Kindiki in a presser with administrators in Mtwapa, Kilifi County on November 16, 2022.

Interior Ministry

Her crew also bypassed security at the GSU headquarters to enter the premises with an undetected improvised explosive device. 

Then Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti refuted allegations that police colluded with thugs.

“The allegations made in this report are extremely serious. It is also apparent that crimes relating to unlawful possession of firearms may have been committed in the context of this report,” Kinoti defended the cops.