A tout who was captured on camera earlier in the week, confronting a police officer in Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), has gone into hiding.
In an interview with TV47, Edwin Kariuki Mwangi, who works with Rukagina Matatu Sacco, disclosed that he went into hiding, following reports that the authorities were looking for him in connection with the August 26, 2021 incident.
A visibly aggressive Mwangi was captured on video fearlessly confronting a police officer who had accosted him for not wearing a face mask contrary to the measures put in place by the Ministry of Health.
In the viral video, he could be heard saying that he had just alighted from a matatu to purchase a mask from a vendor who was by the roadside after the one he was wearing got torn.
"The officer shoved me around and the move got me angry. Although I looked aggressive, my aim was for him to listen to my explanation and not to fight him.
"Besides, I do not have the strength to fight because I have an injury on my leg. I have been receiving calls and was told that the officer was back looking for me," Mwangi told TV47.
Mwangi argued that the officer had singled him out from the many Nairobians who were not donning their masks on the said day.
"So many people were not wearing their masks, including the vendor who was selling them. The officer saw my uniform and knew that I could be having some money since I was working," he added.
Mwangi has been hiding since Thursday in a bid to avoid an arrest by the authorities.
In 2020, the Ministry of Health put in place several measures, including wearing of face masks, practicing social distance and washing of hands in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
In a bid to enforce the guidelines and regulations, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai directed the police to arrest and fine Ksh20,000 those found without face masks in public spaces.
"Being in public without a mask attracts a fine of Sh20,000. However, all officers are to enforce this within the law and no one is allowed to use excessive force while implementing this directive. In case of any proof, share with my office, IAU [Internal Affairs Unit] or IPOA [Independent Policing Oversight Authority] for action," Mutyambai stated.
