Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai on Monday, November 2, addressed the new menace in Nairobi involving individuals harassing residents walking around with no face masks.
In his bi-weekly social media engagement forum, the police boss made it clear that it was against protocol for any police officer to question any citizen without revealing their identity.
"All Police officers should identify themselves, even then the police have been authorized to enforce strict adherence to the Ministry of Health Covid-19 guidelines including wearing masks in public places," he explained.
Countless residents have lodged complaints about being stopped by a group of 3 or 4 individuals brandishing handcuffs and demanding bribes from anyone found without the protective face gear within the Central Business District (CBD).
"I had just parked my car along Moi Avenue and was crossing the street to buy airtime when suddenly I was surrounded by three people," one of the victims narrated to Nation.
"They did not introduce themselves, and for a moment I thought they were thugs," he added.
The gang has been known to operate around bus terminus areas and other crowded spots within the city.
On his part, IG Mutyambai maintained that there were genuine officers combing the streets, tasked with effecting the Covid-19 containment measures.
'Being in public without a mask attracts a fine of Ksh20,000. However, all officers are to enforce this within the law & no one is allowed to use excessive force," he elaborated.
In response to the alleged double standards when it came to enforcing the containment measures during political rallies, the police boss explained that carrying out mass arrests would be counter-productive.
"We continue to urge the public to take personal responsibility as Covid-19 numbers continue to rise, the police can not arrest everyone because then we will simply transfer the burden of social distancing to the cells. It boils down to personal responsibility," he remarked.
