It did not take long for an offensive video depicting the assault on a police officer to rattle the bosses and trigger a swift manhunt for the suspect.
And the minute the viral video of a 19-year-old man beating up a traffic police officer on Kamiti Road in Kasarani hit the inbox of Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei, he flew into a rage.
Mr Bungei was heard roaring on the police internal communication lines as he called for the attention of the Kasarani Police Station boss, according to accounts by officers who listened in on the conversation.
Mr Bungei’s message to the station commander was brief but terse: “I want that man arrested and locked up in the shortest time possible.”
What followed was a multi-agency search for the motorist caught on camera assaulting the traffic police officer whom the attacker accuses of attempting to force his way into his car after allegedly being found with an offence.
The instructions from Mr Bungei were relayed to all officers under the command of Kasarani Police Station and the stations neighbouring the area where the attack had happened.
And following the directive, the search for the man now identified as Ian Njoroge had officially commenced.
The police got details of the vehicle used by the suspect from a matatu crew that witnessed and filmed the incident.
Members of the public had attempted to seize the teenager but he jumped into his car and sped off. The police swung into action quickly.
A team of officers from Kasarani Police Station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau obtained all crucial leads including CCTV footage of the getaway vehicle and the mobile phone number of the man.
A motorist attacks a police officer at Mirema junction on Kamiti Road, Nairobi, on June 2, 2024.
Photo credit: Pool
Officers privy to the investigation said there was a wave of anger among the rank and file of the National Police Service following the attack on their colleague. A police report shows the officer is 55 years old.
And eight hours into the search, officers stormed a house in Jacaranda estate but they did not find him. The detectives then went to the Eastlands area where the mobile phone signal of the wanted man had last been traced.
The suspect was smoked out of a flat where his friend lives, according to the police.
Yesterday, the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) condemned the attack and asked members of the public to report to the agency if they are wronged by the police instead of taking the law into their own hands.
“Kenyans who feel disgruntled about policing services, or police officers, should lodge their complaints with the authority for investigations,” said IPOA boss Anne Makori.
