Nandi Hills 'pool table' police officers transferred to Nairobi

Police assault men playing pool in Nandi Hills. [File, Standard]

Senior police officers who were placed under administrative action following the brutal assault of young men playing pool in Nandi Hills have since been transferred to stations in Nairobi, a move that has drawn outrage from a section of Kenyans.

The transfers follow the circulation of disturbing CCTV footage showing police officers beating and roughing up youths at a pool table venue in Nandi Hills last month.

In a statement released last Saturday, National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said Inspector General Douglas Kanja had directed the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) to conduct investigations after the video emerged.

“The IG-NPS has accepted the IAU’s recommendations and ordered immediate administrative action against senior officers,” Nyaga noted.

Those affected include the Sub-county Police Commander (OCPD) for Tinderet, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) for Songoh, the OCS for Nandi Hills, and officers in charge of the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), GSU and ASTU at Songoh Camp.

“This action deliberately focuses on local commanders to ensure they are held fully accountable for all conduct within their jurisdictions. There will be no tolerance for such misconduct,” Nyaga said.

However, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargey on Tuesday faulted the police leadership, accusing the Inspector General of merely reshuffling officers instead of taking disciplinary action.

Speaking in Nairobi, the legislator said families of the assaulted youths were still grappling with medical bills and trauma counselling, weeks after the attack.

“Under the laws of this country, pool is not an offence. It is not a banned game. The only mistake these boys committed was playing pool, yet they were injured, brutalised and traumatised,” he said.

Cherargey claimed that instead of being disciplined, the officers were transferred to Nairobi-based stations.

“We were shocked that the administrative action taken by the Inspector General was to promote seniors and supervisors of the local police officers,” he said.

According to the senator, the Tinderet OCPD was transferred to Lang’ata Sub-County, the Songoh OCS moved to Central Police Station, while the Nandi Hills OCS was posted to Pangani Police Station. The officer in charge of RDU Songoh Camp was seconded to police headquarters.