Police officers in Mombasa County are on the spot after they allegedly release of a suspected drug baron.
Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa issued the officers with a 24-hour ultimatum to find the suspect. He also extended the threat to the detectives who participated in his release.
The suspect, identified as Richard Wacira Maranga was let go after allegedly giving the officers a bribe of Sh200,000 each.
The stern warning comes a few days after four officers were charged in connection with Maranga's release.
The officers, Justus Titus Sangalo, Ahmed Shabaan Saney, David Kipkurui Koskey and Joseph Maina Machoya were presented before a Mombasa Court on Tuesday but denied the charge and were released on a Sh20,000 bond each.
The suspect was nabbed last Friday with several drugs including 67 sachets of heroin and 50 Grammes of Bhang in Majengo, Mombasa.
Maranga who is a brother to a nototrious robbery suspect, Erick Maranga, was booked at Makupa Police Station under OB Number 7/11/9/2015 before he bought his way out of the station.
Head of Mombasa Urban Police Department, Martin Asin affirmed that the rogue officers would be investigated in due course.
Marwa further accused the police department of being a loophole in the eradication of drugs at the coast.
“If we work so hard to arrest suspects and somebody frustrates us by releasing them after receiving bribes, what are we doing here?” he retorted.
The campaign against drugs in the coastal region began a few weeks ago after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed a crackdown on the menace that had been wasting away the youth.
Rehabilitation centres have been set up across the region to aid the drug addicts with their recovery process.
