A police officer allegedly burnt the hand of a mandazi vendor in Kinoo, Nairobi on Sunday after spilling hot oil on him.
The officer, reportedly attached to Kinoo Police Post, was not wearing his official uniform when the unfortunate incident occured. He is said to have staggered into the shop on Sunday, brandished his pistol and ordered three vendors inside the shop to leave.
"He got inside our shop where we usually cook mandazi wielding the gun and asked us to get out. We got scared and ran outside fearing he was a robber because he was not in uniform,” narrated Bernard Omondi, a vendor in the shop.
In the commotion, the officer is said to have hit the frying pan that had hot cooking oil and burnt Dennis Kibira's right hand.
The victims went to report the incident at the Kinoo Police Post only to find the officer at the desk.
In a turn of events, the vendors were locked up for three hours and released on a Sh1000 cash bail each without receiving receipts.
“Before the release, I had pleaded with the officer in charge to let me go and seek medical attention because I was in so much pain but he could hear none of that,” said Kibira.
The incident attracted the attention of Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa who promised to push for justice for the harrassed vendors.
Speaking to Nairobi News, Dagoretti OCPD Rashid Hulbale Mohammed also affirmed that they would charge the police officer if investigations proved that he committed the offence.
