Protests Over Police Harassing Kenyans With Laptop Bags [VIDEO]

Walking within the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) while carrying your laptop has become what they call an 'extreme sport' as Kenyans have been targets of theft by notorious muggers and now alleged harassment by police officers.

A video went viral on Tuesday, October 25 showing a man being frogmarched by two of police officers to an undisclosed location in the dead of night in the city.

The clip shared on TikTok by The Truth Watchdog and eventually on Twitter showed two officers in uniform alongside the man who had his bag on his back, walking along empty streets in the middle of a silent night.

An image of Nairobi CBD. /FILE

He complained that individuals with laptop bags are searched before the officers take them round and round before informing them that they will be detained, all while there is no presence of fellow officers to defend the innocent actions of the citizens.

"What did I tell you all about being found in town with a bag on your back during late night hours? So apparently he has carried his bag, that is the offence in town. Your bag is searched and it has nothing.

"You are being taken in circles and told you're being taken to Central Police Station. There's no officer in town to escort you, even those who will say there's nothing wrong. Do you think a police officer is in town to escort someone?" he lamented.

The content creator lamented that the police could be misusing their mandate to earn extra income from harassing Kenyans for bribes due to their meagre salary.

He added that the man in a laptop bag was being escorted to a mobile money shop and allegedly ordered to withdraw what he had as a bribe so that the officers could release him from their custody.

"This man is keeping peace, 600 people are assigned to them and they are supposed to protect them, but they are taking advantage with their guns and uniform. I love the police very much and I highly respect them but you can't continue like this while we sit there and say that this is their right and they're okay.

"Would you be envious towards them? Do you know how much they earn? They earn little. Even though the pay is low, you know you signed up for service, what you are doing harassing people and demanding them to remove Ksh200-Ksh300. Let me tell you the story, this man was being taken to a mobile money shop after he said he doesn't have money, he was told to withdraw what he has to bribe them so that they let him go," he said.

He warned law enforcement officers with regard to their actions that they risked heading towards the same direction as the four police officers from the disbanded Special Service Unit who were arrested over the weekend and arraigned over the disappearance of two Indians and their driver.

Peter Gathuku, Francis Ndonye, John Kamau and Joseph Mbugua were arraigned before the Ruaraka law courts on Tuesday, October 25.

"Go ahead with your duties, you are respectable fellows. Let it blow up on your faces, you will be just like the four SSU officers arraigned in court with no one to stand for them. Bad manners," he reprimanded.

Kenyans soon disclosed their own accounts similar to the ordeal of the man with the laptop bag where they were pounced on by police officers while walking in the CBD in the cover of darkness.

"Last week Thursday morning around 5:10 am they caught me in town. They opened my bag and only found my tools. All questions had an answer without hesitation. They asked for my ID and they checked it. Literally, they got tired of me and chased me away

So apparently I received my merchandise at around 7 pm from Thika Store to the CBD office. The guy who was helping me with carrying some of them decided we go through an alley. Just at the back entrance of the building I was pounced on by two civilian-dressed officers. Long story," some of the comments read.

The National Police Service (NPS) was yet to comment on the issue by the time of publication.

Watch the video:

People have always complained about police harassing people with laptop bags in town .

Huyu ali capture video kiasi ???? pic.twitter.com/9rxgOWPYEu — Beth Kasinga ???? (@beth_kasinga) October 26, 2022