Police Struggle: Gear Shortage & Fatigue Ahead Of Anti-Gov’t Protests
Following the chaos, mayhem, devastation, and deaths witnessed in opposition-led anti-government protests on Wednesday, government installations appeared to have been overrun by the unruly protestors.
The police leadership held a meeting on Monday to review the events as they prepared for yet another round of protests, this time lasting three consecutive days: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Sunday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki stated, “I acknowledge that on Wednesday we did not perform well as law enforcement agencies, but I assure you that this week and moving forward, the country will be prepared to deal with the dangerous criminals in our midst who are terrorizing millions of Kenyans and causing millions of Kenyans to live in fear.”
And it appears that this admission prompted a shift in strategy.
Monday mid-morning, all county and regional commanders gathered at the Nairobi area police station to discuss the obstacles.
Later, they gathered in Embakasi for yet another meeting, which included Douglas Kanja, the deputy inspector general of police.
CS Kindiki and Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome were conveniently absent to enable the police to open fire.
A source revealed to Citizen TV that police lamented a lack of sufficient supplies and equipment that left them increasingly vulnerable and overrun by demonstrators.
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During last week’s Wednesday demonstrations, six police officers were injured, with the majority suffering head injuries.
According to the police, fatigue is also a significant problem, and their welfare has not been addressed because they have not received their due allowances.
Some officers also asserted that there was favoritism among the senior ranks.
Before Wednesday’s protests, these reports are anticipated to be presented to ministry officials and the IG.
As investigations intensified to identify those responsible for the Mlolongo and Kitengela incidents that resulted in deaths and destruction, sources revealed to Citizen TV that there was division over the incidents, as some senior government officials were reportedly aware of the impending attack but did not share the intelligence reports with local police officers for reinforcement, resulting in the Kitengela and Mlolongo stations being overrun.
As the government moves to assert its authority in the coming days, there will be a renewed focus on the men in uniform who have been accused of using excessive force during the demonstrations and on whether their concerns will be promptly addressed.
Police Struggle: Gear Shortage & Fatigue Ahead Of Anti-Gov’t Protests
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