A senior police officer was arrested early Tuesday morning over the controversial release of dozens of protesters, adding a dramatic twist to yesterday’s anti-fuel price demonstrations, as the government defended a tough crackdown that left four people dead, more than 30 injured, and hundreds arrested.
Chief Inspector Dishen Angoya, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Central Police Station in Nairobi, was arrested minutes past midnight over claims that he unlawfully released 64 suspects who had been detained for offences linked to public disorder during the protests.
A police report filed at Lang’ata Police Station stated that Chief Inspector Angoya was arrested by the Deputy Regional Police Commander for alleged abuse of office after he reportedly freed the protesters on Monday “without lawful authority” and improperly conferred on himself a benefit.
The internal police communication states that the officer released the suspects on May 18 despite their arrest over offences related to public order during demonstrations that rocked parts of the country over rising fuel prices.
The officer has since been placed in police custody pending further action, although police noted he was complaining of high blood pressure. The case is being handled by detectives from Nairobi North.
The arrest came hours after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen issued a strongly worded statement Monday evening condemning what he described as chaos, looting and politically instigated violence during the protests.
Murkomen said while the Constitution guarantees the right to demonstrate and picket, criminal elements had allegedly infiltrated the protests, leading to looting, road blockades and destruction of property. He accused unnamed political actors of mobilising violence to target government projects and intimidate supporters of the administration.
The CS said the demonstrations turned deadly, with four Kenyans killed and more than 30 others injured in the unrest. He added that security agencies had arrested 348 people in connection with the violence, looting and destruction witnessed in several parts of the country.
“It is quite unfortunate that we lost four Kenyans in today’s violence,” Murkomen said, while warning that the government would use the “full force of the law” against those behind the unrest.
He further assured Kenyans that security agencies had been instructed to clear blocked roads and restore normal transport operations, even as the government engages transport stakeholders on the impact of soaring fuel prices.
The protests, sparked by mounting frustration over rising fuel prices and the increasing cost of living, disrupted transport and business operations in several towns, with reports of road blockades, vandalism and confrontations between demonstrators and police.
In his statement, Murkomen maintained that while economic grievances were legitimate, violence and destruction could not be justified as a means of expressing public dissatisfaction.
He said the government, through the National Treasury and the Ministries of Energy and Transport, had already initiated talks with transport stakeholders in a bid to cushion Kenyans from the effects of escalating fuel costs.
The talks however, failed to unlock the gridlock with the Matatu Owners Association leaders saying they reached no deal after several hours of negotiation with the senior government officials. As such, the matatu strike hits day two, today.
