A man in Awendo, Migori County went viral on Tuesday, May 2 as he confronted police officers at a roadblock after one of the them drove off with his car.
The man revealed that he was was stopped for Covid-19 screening, only for one of the officers to order his colleague to drive away with his vehicle.
The frustrated man was left stranded at the roadblock and accused the police of robbery even as he was informed that the car was at a police station within the area.
He revealed that the vehicle was full of an assortment of goods, questioning the officers' intent in taking away the vehicle.
He claimed that the officers had made up the frivolous claim that one of his tyres was worn out when he demanded to know why the vehicle was being taken away.
"Which law allows the police officer to run with my vehicle without me inside? I'm the driver of that vehicle. Why am I here and where is my vehicle boss?
"Where is my vehicle and my property? Officer, I'm asking you. Does the law allow a police officer to go with my vehicle without me inside?" he asked, his efforts to get the attention of the officer at the roadblock in vain.
Unknown to many Kenyans, the Traffic Act grants powers to police officers in uniform to enter, drive or cause any vehicle to be driven upon reasonable suspicion of an offence.
"It shall be lawful for any police officer in uniform to stop any vehicle, and for any police officer, licensing officer or inspector:-
(a) to enter any vehicle
(b) to drive any vehicle or cause any vehicle to be driven;
(c) upon reasonable suspicion of any offence under this act, to order and require the owner of any vehicle to bring the vehicle to him,
for the purpose of carrying out any examination and test of the vehicle with a view to ascertaining whether the provisions of this act are being complied with or with a view to ascertaining whether the vehicle is being used in contravention of this act," section 105 of the Traffic Act reads in part.
The Act further states that anyone who fails to comply with any instruction or order given under the section shall be guilty of an offence and liable, on a first conviction, to a fine not exceeding Ksh30,000.
For a second or subsequent conviction, one will be liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh50,000 or to imprisonment for a period of one year.
