Did a Nakuru Police Have to Die for the Security Team to Act?

The National Police Service (NPS) on June 1, 2025, confirmed the death of a police officer in the Nakuru, Bondeni area, who was ambushed by an armed gang. In addition, two other police officers were injured in the incident. They were later rushed to hospital, where they are receiving treatment.

This incident led to police officers arresting three suspects at the scene and the recovery of an AK-47 rifle. The authorities believe the gang used the weapon in their criminal activities. Later, a manhunt was launched that led to the arrest of four more suspects who were hiding in a lodging in the Taiyds area of downtown Nakuru.

Before this incident of a police officer losing his life to an armed gang, the same gang had killed and terrorized several other people in the previous week.

Reports from victims indicate that whenever they tried to contact the police officers, their response was cold. The residents expressed frustration and blamed the police officers for the failure to adequately address the crime issue at hand.

Residents in the town said they had reported the cases severally to the police. However, the officers would either not respond promptly, or they were not actively involved in investigating and apprehending the offenders.

Due to the perceived lack of action from the police, residents voiced their frustration and blamed the police officers for failing to protect their lives and properties.

A few hours after the shooting of the police officer that led to one dying and two getting injuries, things escalated so fast from the Police Service Unit together with the DCI team.

Immediately, a press statement was issued on the matter, and the DCI assured the Nakuru town residents that their security remains the foremost priority. He also stated that several anti-robbery teams had been dispatched to various regions to pursue the identified armed gangs, whose operations, he claimed, had been analyzed.

True to his word, by Monday, June 2, 2025, the DCI Nakuru East detectives were processing the suspects for arraignment in court the following day, Tuesday, June 3.

The question is, must a police officer be killed or injured for the security team in Kenya to act? Does it mean that the ordinary citizen's life is insignificant?

Approximately ten people lost their lives and several others their property to the same gang in the previous week, but the police unit did very little to address the problem. The most targeted individuals were business owners, particularly M-Pesa operators.

Nakuru town and its environs, including Mwariki, Ngata, Free Area, Bondeni, Bahati, Kaptembwo, Kiamunyi, and Rhonda, among others, were affected. At least each of these estates lost a resident to the attacks by this armed gang; several other residents were robbed of their property.

Throughout this period, the police service unit did tiny, if anything, to curb the situation. Until one of the police officers died, and their presence was felt everywhere. Estates like Baraka had an intensive police patrol on the night of June 3 which had not been the case before.

The Kenya Police Service is guided by the slogan ‘Utumishi kwa wote', which serves as its motto. This phrase directly translates to 'Service to all'. Unfortunately, this story does not depict this motto.

Therefore, the Kenyan Police Service need to review their mandate. Maintaining law and order, preservation of peace, protecting citizens' lives and property, prevention and detection of crime, apprehension of offenders, and enforcing laws are some functions of this unit.

Unfortunately, this has remained on paper. The implementation part is very poor. The authority responsible should investigate to understand why the police officers are not motivated to do their work.

After all, citizens are heavily taxed in this country, and this warrants their security without having to beg for it.