The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has announced the interdiction of a ranger following a viral video showing the assault of an elderly man in Lunga Lunga Sub County, Kwale County.
In the widely circulated video, a group of officers, believed to be KWS rangers, are seen harassing a man, forcing him to entertain them by singing and dancing.
The rangers accuse the man of collecting firewood from a protected forest in the area.
“Today is Friday, you should have gone to the mosque to pray, but you are here stealing firewood,” one officer comments during the incident.
The situation escalates when the officers order the man to lie on the ground.
A female ranger is then seen hitting him repeatedly, with the man heard groaning as he is whipped.
Another officer is heard threatening, “This will make you stop fetching firewood from this forest. We are killing you so that you do not disturb us again.”
In response to the incident, KWS condemned the actions as “unacceptable” in a statement issued on November 19.
The agency stressed that the behavior of the ranger depicted in the video does not align with the values of KWS.
The service confirmed that investigations were underway, and disciplinary action would be taken against those involved.
“The Service wishes to clarify that it does not condone such behavior, and the ranger in question has been interdicted,” the statement said.
KWS reaffirmed its commitment to a human-rights-based approach in enforcing forest laws.
The video has sparked outrage, drawing attention from human rights activists and the public, urging the National Police Service (NPS) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to intervene.
This incident comes just months after President William Ruto directed KWS to address complaints from Kilifi residents regarding ranger harassment.
During a rally in July, the president promised to take action against officials found mistreating locals.
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