NANDI, Kenya — Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has condemned what he termed a blatant case of police brutality after closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage emerged showing police officers assaulting young men who were playing pool in Nandi Hills town.
In a statement issued on Friday, Senator Cherargei described the incident as a grave abuse of human rights and accused the officers involved of violating the Constitution of Kenya.
“I want to strongly condemn these acts of police brutality, criminality, and abuse of human rights perpetuated by police officers in Nandi Hills Town, Nandi County, to peace-loving youth whose only mistake was playing a pool game, which is not an offence in any of our laws,” Cherargei said.
The senator cited Article 244 of the Constitution of Kenya (2010), which requires the National Police Service to respect human rights, promote professionalism, foster good relations with the public, and uphold integrity.
“Under the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Article 244, the National Police ‘service’ is mandated to respect human rights, promote high standards of professionalism, good relationships with broader society, and integrity. This provision has been violated by these rogue police officers,” he added.
Cherargei demanded immediate action against the officers involved, calling on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to interdict and suspend them to allow for independent investigations.
“I demand that the Inspector General of Police should immediately interdict and suspend the said police officers for this act of impunity to pave the way for independent investigations,” he stated.
He further said senior police commanders in Nandi County should face administrative action over the incident, arguing that command responsibility must be enforced to deter similar abuses.
The senator also urged the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to open investigations into the assault, noting that external oversight was critical to restoring public confidence in the police.
“I have engaged the Senate Committee on National Security to urgently look into this matter. The national security leadership must move in to prevent the re-emergence of frequent rogue police actions,” Cherargei said.
The CCTV footage circulating online shows a group of young men playing pool inside a local establishment when uniformed police officers abruptly storm the premises.
The officers order the youths to lie on the floor before slapping some and beating others with batons.
The assault reportedly lasted close to eight minutes before the officers left the scene.
The incident has sparked renewed public outrage over police conduct, coming just days after IPOA announced investigations into the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Utange, Mombasa County.
In a statement dated January 6, IPOA Chairperson Issack Hassan said investigations into the death of Dennis Ringa Swaleh, who was shot on New Year’s Eve, were at an advanced stage, with substantial evidence and witness testimonies already recorded.
