The National Police Service (NPS) is facing mounting criticism and public outrage following the circulation of a video on social media that appeared to show uniformed officers carrying laptops out of a shop during chaotic protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
The protests, held on Tuesday, June 17, called for the resignation of Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat, and turned violent after hired goons were seen looting shops in the CBD.
Amid the unrest, a viral video captured what appeared to be police officers leaving an electronics shop with laptops, before boarding a police van along Moi Avenue.
While many Kenyans condemned the video as evidence of police collusion in the looting, Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris came to the defense of the officers.
In a statement released Wednesday, June 16, Passaris refuted claims that the police stole the items, insisting they were securing stolen goods for safekeeping.
“Just spoke to the Regional Police Commandant in Nairobi, Mr. Seda. The laptops looted from the electronics shop were recovered and are safely in police custody,” she stated on X (formerly Twitter).
“Nation Media, your headline saying ‘police leave with laptops’ is misleading. The right word is ‘recovered,’ not ‘leave.’ Let’s report facts, not fuel mistrust.”
Despite Passaris’s defense, many Kenyans online expressed deep frustration and distrust of the police, accusing them of betraying public trust and collaborating with criminals.
“These officers captured carrying items borrowed without permission in CBD must be arrested and charged,” wrote a user named Ja Loka. “The government of President Ruto does not condone theft.”
“This isn’t just theft; it’s a betrayal of trust,” added another user, Mumo Omollo.
“Stolen goods won’t fix their lives; any money gained will likely be squandered, doing nothing for their actual struggles.”
Prominent lawyer Willis Otieno condemned the officers’ actions as criminal, saying:
“There’s now evidence of a police officer stealing laptops, caught colluding with goons to loot and vandalize shops.
This is no longer law enforcement; it is crimen sceleris, a crime of wickedness.”
In a statement released after observing the June 17 protests, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported 22 casualties across Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale Counties, raising serious concerns over the police’s handling of demonstrations.
According to KNCHR, one civilian in Nairobi CBD was shot at close range by a police officer and remains in critical condition at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The injuries reported included gunshot wounds, head trauma, whip marks, blunt force injuries, and asthma attacks caused by tear gas exposure.
Of particular concern was the alleged deployment of masked goons on motorbikes, armed with tire whips, wooden bars, and crude weapons, who were seen assaulting both protesters and bystanders a tactic the commission suggests may have had tacit approval or complicity from security forces.
As public scrutiny intensifies, pressure is mounting on the government and the National Police Service to conduct an independent investigation into both the police conduct and the origin of the hired thugs.
Human rights organizations and civil society groups are calling for transparency, disciplinary action, and reform in police operations, especially during public demonstrations.
“What we witnessed is a dangerous erosion of the rule of law,” said a spokesperson from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
“The police must serve as protectors of the people, not participants in criminality.”
As investigations continue, the spotlight remains on the NPS, with many Kenyans demanding answers not just for the looting video, but for the broader question of who controls the streets during public unrest: the state or rogue elements within it?
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