Traffic Police Officers Banned From Carrying Firearms While On Duty

• Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Mirriam Muli announced that all armed traffic officers should be disarmed with immediate effect
• Muli said that most officers engaged in traffic duties misuse firearms, especially when caught soliciting bribes from road users
• Twalib Mbarak, the EACC boss, also urged the Inspector General of Police to disarm the rogue offices found engaged in corruption

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Mirriam Muli has announced the cessation of carrying firearms by traffic police officers.

The announcement came after an officer of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission escaped a shooting by three traffic officers caught taking bribes at Karagita along the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu road.

"It has been noted with great concern that officers actively engaged in traffic duties are armed. This has resulted in the misuse of firearms by the officers. From today, November 30, 2023, no officer actively on traffic duties will carry a firearm. Commanders should ensure that this directive is complied with immediately," reads the communiqué addressed to all regional police bosses.

Why should traffic officers be disarmed?

Muli's directive followed that of EACC boss Twalib Mbarak, who appealed to Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome to disarm all traffic police officers.

According to Mbarak, there is a misuse of firearms by certain crook police officers who confront EACC detectives when found requesting bribes.

"This morning, the EACC managed to have a raid where we managed to arrest three traffic police officers who were taking bribes along the road from motorists. One policeman managed to escape; he was armed, and he tried to fire at our officers; fortunately, there were no injuries, but he managed to escape," Mbarak said.

He added:

"Our position as EACC is that, in coordination with the office of the IG, traffic police officers should never be armed unless it is extremely necessary for their own safety," the EACC boss added.

Why is it hard to end corruption in Kenya?

Mbarak asserted that most corrupt officers have devised ways of collecting bribes, challenging efforts by the EACC to nab them.

He noted that the officers have resorted to taking bribes through earmarked M-Pesa agents within their localities, where they publicly take the illegal proceeds.

"When you devise a new way of arresting them, they come up with a new way. For instance, we know a lot of traffic police officers get bribes through M-Pesa. They have local M-Pesa agents where they go and collect money. Some of them take cash like that place is always cash and M-Pesa. Unfortunately, Kenya is one of the few countries in the world where you see police openly taking bribes," Mbarak stated.

According to Koome, the National Police Service is populated with corrupt officers who term their ill-gotten gains as returns.