Four KDF soldiers have been detained awaiting charges of robbery with violence after allegedly assaulting and disarming a police officer in Turkana.
According to a police report, the four had disarmed Police Constable Cleophas Makhapila at a roadblock near Turkana University College, slapped him and ordered him to go down on his knees before one of the soldiers shot severally in the air after the officer refused to kneel before them.
“It happened that officers delayed removing the erected spikes at the said roadblock and the KDF water bowser was approaching. The driver of the said water bowser alighted and slapped the officer on his right cheek, another officer alighted using the passenger door and grabbed his AK47 assault rifle and cocked immediately. He uttered the words ‘Sisi tumeua Al Shabaab wengi, naweza kumaliza wewe sai.’” the report said
The four are said to have been riding in a water bowser towards Moi Garden to fetch water, and they later ordered the officer to collect his firearm at Loturerei army camp in Kanam Kemer Ward.
An alert was put out to other patrol roadblocks in search of the KDF soldiers and the water bowser, eventually tracking them down to Moi Garden. Reports say that the KDF soldiers were requested to drive their water bowser to the station to establish what had happened but they resisted, forcing the police officers to arrest and escort them to the station.
This led to more KDF soldiers arriving at the Lodwar police station demanding the police officers to release their mates.
The chaotic situation was later calmed by the Turkana Central Sub-County Police Commander Samwel Boit where he lectured the KDF soldiers for their behavior.
Four KDF soldiers arrested for assaulting and disarming a police officer