NAIROBI, Kenya- The Inspector General of Police has warned officers against unprofessional conduct after Citizen TV journalist Francis Odee was manhandled and arrested while covering protests over high fuel prices in Nairobi.
In a directive dated October 22, the National Police Service (NPS) said it was concerned by footage showing officers handling a journalist covering demonstrations.
The incident, the notice said, had portrayed the service in a bad light despite repeated reminders to officers to perform their duties professionally.
The Inspector General said all officers must follow constitutional requirements and professional standards.
Any officer found to have deviated from those standards would face appropriate administrative action, the notice said.
Commanders across police formations were instructed to circulate the directive to officers under their command and confirm receipt and compliance.
Odee was covering protests along Kimathi Street in Nairobi’s Central Business District on October 20 when plainclothes officers arrested him.
Video footage showed officers dragging him along the street and bundling him into a police vehicle, despite objections from members of the public and journalists who said he was on assignment.
He was taken to Central Police Station and later released without charge.
Odee said officers ignored his attempts to identify himself as a journalist and assaulted him during the arrest.
The circumstances of the arrest are now being investigated by both the police Internal Affairs Unit and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
The NPS said its Internal Affairs Unit had opened an inquiry to establish what happened and determine whether action should be taken.
It also said it would cooperate with IPOA.
The oversight authority said it was investigating seven officers and planned to review police records and seek accounts from officers deployed during the demonstrations.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) condemned the reported assault and arrest, saying Odee’s release did not remove the need for accountability.
It called on IPOA to investigate the incident and urged the police service to preserve relevant footage and custody records.
The commission cited constitutional protections for personal liberty, media freedom, peaceful assembly and the rights of arrested people.
It also referred to a High Court decision affirming that officers policing public assemblies must be in uniform and identifiable.
The incident drew condemnation from media organisations, including the Media Council of Kenya, the Kenya Editors Guild and the Crime Journalists Association of Kenya (CJAK).
They called for investigations into Odee’s arrest and treatment while reporting on the demonstrations.
The police directive said officers should perform their duties in a manner that inspires public confidence and respects constitutional standards.
The investigations into Odee’s arrest are ongoing.
