Fake Text Sparks Controversy: Alleged Rehiring Scam of Dismissed Kenyan Police Officers Uncovered
Resila Onyango, a spokesman for the National Police Service (NPS). Has denied allegations that the organization is recruiting officers who were previously terminated due to malfeasance.
Onyango responded in a Thursday message to PoliticalPulseChat to a text message that was widely disseminated, particularly on WhatsApp. Purporting to extend a rehiring invitation to the impacted officers.
The text message stated that the recruitment was to occur on Friday at the headquarters of the General Service Unit (GSU) in Ruaraka.
“If you know any police officer alifutwa kazi (who was fired) or deserted and is willing kurudi kazi, afike Ruaraka kesho (to return to work, let them head to Ruaraka tomorrow). Treat (this message) as urgent if Willing [sic],” read the message laden with grammatical errors.
Onyango responded by confirming that the aforementioned statement was fraudulent and not issued by NPS.
It is worth mentioning that during recruitment campaigns, the police service is obligated to utilize legitimate advertising channels. They frequently share the advertisements on its verified social media platforms.
The number of interdicted police officers has increased significantly since 2015. This is after the Kenyan National Police Service Commission (NPSC) terminated 63 officers on account of corruption allegations.
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In the year 2016, following a comprehensive vetting process, the commission terminated an additional 127 traffic officers who were accused of malfeasance.
“Out of the 127, 36 are from Coast, 23 from Western, 50 from Rift Valley, and 18 from Nyanza,” the Commission’s then Chairperson Johnston Kavuludi stated at the time.
Six additional officers were admonished and formally charged with multiple offenses in court in 2020. After an investigation conducted by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
An increase in shootings that resulted in the fatalities or injuries of unsuspecting civilians prompted the inquiries.
Amid protests organized by Azimio la Umoja at the start of 2023, Kenyan citizens expressed their discontent with the alleged excessive use of force by law enforcement and called for consequences to be taken against those responsible.
Fake Text Sparks Controversy: Alleged Rehiring Scam of Dismissed Kenyan Police Officers Uncovered
