Man confesses to being fake police officer and extorting bribes from people

Pius Mutua Kioko in a court on Monday where he was charged with falsely presenting himself as a police officer and arresting Julius Kasoa. He pleaded guilty to the charge. [Photo: George Njunge, Standard]

For 30 days, Pius Mutua Kioko went through various centres and streets in Nairobi masquerading as a police officer and arresting law breakers.

His suspects were not the high-end criminals known to terrorise residents through burglaries and petty theft, or the notorious gangs who have been openly robbing people in the central business district.

Armed with a fake police radio (walkie talkie) and fake police identity card, Mr Kioko singled out petty offenders, like those urinating on the roadside, smoking in non-smoking zones or throwing litter everywhere.

“I have been jobless for a long time and when I went to see a woman who had a pick-up to employ me as a driver, I did not succeed. It was then that I decided to try my luck as a police officer,” said Kioko when he was arraigned in court.

The 52-year-old father of three decided to take matters into his own hands and assumed the responsibility of county security personnel to punish city residents breaking county by-laws.

But the 'suspects' Kioko arrested never ended up in court or locked up in any police station.

Tough January

His was a way of surviving a long and tough January, and taking care of his three school-going children after being rendered jobless.

According to police records, he demanded between Sh50 and Sh100 from his unsuspecting ‘suspects’ in exchange for for their freedom.

At the end of each day, he would have ‘arrested’ and ‘released’ at least 10 people, making Sh1,000 or more in a day.

“It was problems and unemployment that made me start doing this work. I started arresting people in Huruma estate in January then moved to other areas where I could find people breaking the law,” Kioko told the court.

When he was charged yesterday before Senior Principle Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot, he admitted the charge of impersonating a police officer.

According to the charge sheet, Kioko falsely presented himself as a police officer employed in the National Police Service and arrested Julius Kasoa for allegedly urinating along a wayside.

“I plead guilty to the charge and admit all the facts read in court but ask for forgiveness. I am unemployed, widowed and had to find a way of taking care of my three children. That is why I started engaging in police activities,” he said.

Kioko was kept busy with his ‘law enforcement’ work from the beginning of January until February 2, when he was caught red-handed by police officers on patrol as he tried to extort money from a man he found urinating near Nyayo National Stadium.

He stated that on the fateful day, he saw Mr Kasoa urinating in an undesignated place, approached him, waited for him to finish, then arrested him.

Walkie talkie

“I told him people were not supposed to urinate there and he started to plead with me to release him. At that point, I had an imitation police walkie talkie and improvised police identity card, which I used to confirm that I was a police officer,” he said.

According to the prosecution, two police officers on patrol spotted Kioko demanding money from the ‘accused’ and when they inquired, the man told them what was happening. It was then that Kioko was arrested.

The magistrate ordered Kioko remanded until February 19 pending a probation report before he is sentenced.