Police officers in Kenya have asked the government to bring to justice the thieves who snatched a mobile phone from a police officer while on duty in Nairobi.
Speaking to the Media, several police officers said that the state of insecurity was on the rise and it was making it hard for them to do their work freely in Kenya. They asked the government to intervene and ensure a conducive working environment for the officers.
“The streets are not safe for the police. We cannot be out in the street when there are people targeting us and our property. They keep snatching our phones and shooting us. What do you expect us to do?”
The matter is further aggravated by the fact that the police are not allowed to form a union, hence there is no one to fight for them. Had there been one, the police would by now have gone on strike to demand for safer streets and a conducive working environment. A Police Strike would have numerous benefits for Kenyans, as it happened in Nigeria where crime rate fell drastically when police went on strike.
Thieves Snatching Phone from Traffic Policeman
Following the highly publicized case where a traffic police officer lost his phone to thieves on a motorbike, traffic police officers are now opting to leave their phones at home. Other have opted to buy feature phones while waiting for the situation to cool down.
The officer was recorded on dash-cam directing traffic while on a call. A motorcyclist with two pillion passengers rides close to the officer and one of the passengers snatched the phone from the police officer before speeding off. The incident sent shivers down the spine of thousands of police officers who spend the day controlling traffic in Nairobi.
Meanwhile, the Association of Muggers, Pickpockets and Thugs (AMPiT) in Nairobi has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to revise curfew hours from 10 pm to 11 pm, saying that the current 10 pm window was robbing the a prime time for business, especially in the CBD. This has forced them to start operating at 6 pm, something which is risky for their members.
