21 police officers to be charged over violent Covid-19 curfew enforcement
A total of 21 police officers who teargassed homes in Busia County and assaulted residents while enforcing curfew orders will be charged with assault, causing bodily harm and malicious damage to property.
The officers from Nambale police station and sub county offices are also facing a charge of attempting to injure by an explosive substance after they fired a teargas into a resident’s home in the early 2020 incident.
The office of Director of Public Prosecutions concurred with Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) recommendations to prosecute them following investigations.
In one of the charges, the police officers are jointly charged with attempting to injure using explosive substance after they fired a teargas into resident Stella Illungat’s home in Emukhuyu village.
In another charge, the cops are accused of maliciously damaging 25 window panes, sofa sets, cupboards, basins, bulbs, tanks, vehicle windscreens among other assorted household items worth Sh225,550, belonging to Bernard Orenga in Emukhuyu village.
They are reported to have thereafter assaulted Mr Orenga, his wife and children as well as neighbours.
The 16 male and five female cops are accused of assaulting the victims using whips and batons causing them actual bodily harm.
The officer commanding Nambale police station Rolex Charo Nyoka will face an additional charge of negligence in the discharge of official duty.
Nyoka is accused of failing to book in the occurrence book when the officers went out on duty in Mukhiya area and their return despite being a legal requirement.
The officers committed the alleged offences on March 30 last year while enforcing the governments curfew directives and will be charged on February 1.
Police are required to record their operations in the OB before undertaking them.