NAIROBI, Kenya – The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has condemned an incident in which a police officer was assaulted and seriously injured by members of the public in Vihiga County.
The incident, which occurred Thursday afternoon in Cheptulu, Tiriki East Sub-County, involved officers from the Shaviringa Police Post who were patrolling the Muhudu-Shaviringa Road.
According to IPOA, the officers encountered individuals they deemed suspicious.
During the engagement, some of the suspects reportedly raised an alarm, triggering a mob attack on the officers.
One officer was seriously injured in the chaos.
In a statement, IPOA Chairperson Ahmed Issack Hassan said the Authority viewed the incident as a direct threat to the rule of law and a setback to efforts to reform policing in Kenya.
“With a functioning National Police Service and an independent Judiciary in place, it is wholly unacceptable for individuals to take the law into their own hands,” said Hassan. “Such actions undermine public order, promote lawlessness, and erode the very justice system that serves all Kenyans.”
The Authority noted that it has consistently held officers accountable for misconduct, with past investigations resulting in prosecutions and convictions.
However, IPOA warned that retaliatory attacks by members of the public only serve to weaken progress in police accountability and professionalism.
“It is deeply regrettable when members of the public resort to the very forms of violence they condemn in police officers,” IPOA said in the statement.
The Authority urged the public to report cases of police misconduct through official channels such as IPOA or other relevant oversight bodies, rather than taking matters into their own hands.
IPOA reaffirmed its commitment to impartiality and accountability in policing, and called for calm as investigations into the Vihiga incident continue.
