A dramatic scene unfolded when a deputy OCS from Makueni Police Station was arrested for allegedly conducting unauthorized traffic duties.
The officer was apprehended on Wednesday, October 23, at the Bunyala Roundabout in Madaraka Sub-County, leaving onlookers stunned.
Reportedly on leave since October 18, 2024, the officer was intercepted by colleagues from the Industrial Area Police Station while directing traffic.
Clad in full Persian blue uniform, he was also found in possession of a communication device issued to the Tourist Police Unit.
Police issued a statement confirming that the deputy OCS has been returned to his home station in Makueni.
“The suspect was arrested and later collected by the SCPC Kathonzweni and escorted to Makueni County police headquarters, where he was placed in cells at Makueni police station awaiting disciplinary action,” the statement indicated.
The officer will remain in remand as investigations commence. Under the National Police Service Act, it is prohibited for a police officer to conduct traffic duties while on leave, regardless of whether they are at their home station or a different location.
Furthermore, the officer breached police regulations by engaging in traffic duties, which fell outside his designated area of authority.
“The duty to conduct traffic on Kenyan roads is strictly under the mandate of the traffic police unit thus meaning it is an offence for an officer who is outside the unit to enforce traffic rules on the road,” noted the statement.
The Kenya Police Traffic Department is under the Kenya Police Service of the National Police Service (NPS).
Traffic cops are recruited first and trained as regular police officers before undergoing further specialized training to become traffic personnel.