NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 16 — Public outrage has erupted after CCTV footage emerged showing police officers assaulting young men playing pool at a premises in Nandi Hills.
The footage, dated January 10, shows at least eight officers believed to be from Nandi Hills Police Station entering the room where the youths were playing.
The video shows the officers ordering the young men to lie on the floor before demanding they produce their national identity cards.
Officers the instruct the youths to hold the IDs in their mouths while caning them.
The reason for the police action remains unclear, prompting widespread condemnation and calls from members of the public and human rights advocates for accountability and transparency.
Prominent lawyer Willis Otieno described the incident as a gross abuse of power and a violation of human dignity.
“Policing is not a licence to humiliate, assault, or terrorise citizens going about lawful activities. Silence or cover-up will amount to institutional complicity. Authority without accountability is abuse,” Otieno said. “This matter cannot be wished away.”
Otieno urged the police leadership to act swiftly.
“The OCS, Nandi Hills Police Station, must publicly produce the names of the officers involved and confirm the immediate steps taken to investigate and discipline them,” he said.
Calls for action
Kenyans on social media echoed similar concerns, questioning what offense, if any, the youths had committed.
Many asked whether there was a curfew in Nandi County or any law requiring citizens to carry identification at all times.
“Pool games are legalised in Kenya. No police officer has the luxury to suspend human dignity,” one social media user said.
Others demanded the immediate suspension of the officers involved and called for an independent investigation.
The National Police Service had not issued an official statement on the incident at the time of publication even as human rights advocates called for a swift, transparent investigation and decisive disciplinary action.
The incident adds to ongoing concerns over police conduct and the use of excessive force, with many Kenyans calling for urgent reforms to ensure law enforcement officers protect, rather than violate, the rights and dignity of citizens.
