Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers disarmed a police officer who drove into an army barracks at Embakasi Garrison, Nairobi on Wednesday, February 17 at 6:25 pm.
Police Constable Joseph Kinuthia was seeking refuge from auctioneers who were pursuing him in a car chase. The auctioneers wanted to repossess Kinuthia's car, a Honda CRV, after the officer defaulted on a loan for one year.
They alleged that he was avoiding calls from the bank and auctioneer's notices. He also reportedly removed a car tracker that had been installed by the financial institution.
"The policeman was accused of threatening the auctioneers every time they got hold of him and tried to seize the car," the report filed at Embakasi Police Station read.
The auctioneers ambushed Kinuthia on Wednesday evening with the two parties engaging in the car chase. The officer then sped into the barracks and attempted to force his way past the military men manning the gate.
KDF officers said that the suspect pulled out his registered firearm and threatened to shoot one of the auctioneers. The sentries manning the gate, however, responded swiftly and disarmed him.
Military police and officers from the National Police Service (NPS) apprehended the suspect who was detained at the Embakasi Police Station.
The auctioneers were also arrested and put under custody for further processing and interrogation.
A report by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) released in January 2021, indicated that the proportion of defaulted bank loans hit a 13-year high of Ksh 366 billion owing to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Non-performing loans (NPLs) rose from 12.5 percent to 13.1 percent - the highest since August 2007 when it stood at 14.41 percent.
CBK allowed banks to resume Credit Reference Bureaus (CRB) listings. Auctioneers were also directed to repossess property to recover defaulted loans.
A number of Kenyans who failed to service their loans lost houses, cars and businesses in January 2021. A number of tragic incidents were also reported, with some defaulters committing suicide due to the frustrations they encountered.
