Authorities have launched investigations to determine the circumstances that led to a confrontation between National Police Service officers and military personnel at the Likoni ferry crossing channel in Mombasa.
A viral amateur video circulating on social media depicted a group of armed Kenya Defence Forces personnel involved in a scuffle with policemen who were managing the bustling crossing channel.
The footage captured a KDF soldier slapping a security officer while uniformed personnel from both the KDF and NPS attempted to defuse the situation.
Although the cause of the altercation was not immediately evident, an official military vehicle was observed at the scene, apparently awaiting clearance to board the ferry.
In a statement, the KDF confirmed that the incident occurred on Saturday evening.
“To establish the circumstances leading to the incident, Military Police and requisite investigation agencies are currently handling the matter. The incident is highly regrettable. As KDF personnel, we are beholden to the core value of professionalism,” the Forces said.
This marks the second altercation within a fortnight between KDF personnel and policemen.
On April 17, a comparable incident unfolded in Lodwar, Turkana County, where approximately ten servicemen allegedly stormed a police station to liberate their detained colleagues. The detained soldiers had reportedly disarmed a police officer at a roadblock near Turkana University College.
However, KDF refuted claims of soldier misconduct, asserting that neither assault nor station raid occurred. Nevertheless, they confirmed the initiation of investigations into the matter.
The four detained servicemen were involved in a confrontation with a policeman while en route to Moi Gardens to fetch water on a bowser.
They alleged that the police impeded their journey, leading to a tense situation. Multiple shots were fired during the altercation, but no injuries were reported.
Elsewhere, a member of the military is currently in police custody in Kilifi on allegations of assaulting a police officer while attempting to forcibly release his cousin from custody.
According to a police report, the KDF soldier, accompanied by his uncle, reportedly raided Bindira police station on Saturday to free the detained individual, who had been apprehended for assault.
“The said KDF officer assaulted PC William Omondi No. 126492 by twisting his right hand at the wrist and punching him on the chest with his fist. They also broke the steel door and window pane of the report office, allowing the suspect to escape from there. They turned to the complainant of the assault case, who was also present, and strangled and beat him in the report office,” the police reported.
The situation was defused by the intervention of other officers, who successfully restrained the two men and detained them in the cells.
