Just days after police officer Constable Caroline Kangogo shot and killed his colleague, and a civilian before ending her life, another officer has come out to share his frustrations in the service.
The police constable based at Lang’ata Police Station publicly threatened to harm his bosses for depressing him.
The officer identified as a Mr Manyasi through a note on social media claimed he was being frustrated at work by his bosses and was ready to die.
“I know I will have to die soon but some people have to pay for it. My bosses at Lang’ata turned me into a laughingstock. Sergeant Sirma and PC Tracy you messed up my life,” he wrote in a note shared online.
Leave days and off-days
The constable said he has been working nonstop for two years after his bosses declined to approve his off-days and leave.
He accused one officer, a Sergeant Sirma, of highhandedness and disrespect to junior officers whenever they wanted off-days.
The distraught officer narrated how he was forced to go to Nairobi Area and GSU headquarters along Thika Road to have his leave days approved in vain.
“The last time I was off duty was in 2019 July, Sirma frustrated me throughout, when I want to go for leave, I was told my file was not in Lang’ata,” he said adding that he went to Nairobi Area and GSU headquarters but did not get any help.
Manyasi also accused the Sergeant of breaking up his family after denying him leave.
Source of my problems
“Sirma, I still believe you are the source of my problems. I wish you could have allowed me to visit my family regularly,” he said.
In the note, Manyasi also told his wife to return household items she took from their house.
“Can someone tell the Musyoka’s to tell their daughter to bring back everything she took from my house, they can keep the child.”
The police officer further blamed police bosses for being incompetent and turning a blind eye to the suffering of junior officers.
“Lang’ata police bosses led by the OCS are corrupt, heartless and arrogant. He [the OCS] doesn’t deserve the office. He is drunk with power.”
Lang’ata OCPD Benjamin Mwanthi when contacted, said he was not aware of the said officer, but promised to investigate. He was yet to get back o us.
Another case
In May, a female cop in a video pleaded with Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai to allow him to resign from the service over frustrations.
“I have been writing several resignation letters to the Inspector General of Police, but they are being blocked down here, I am tired of the service, I want to go do other things,” she said.
She urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to disband the service, adding that apart from bribery and corruption, nothing is happening in the office.
“Nothing is going on in these offices. They are full of corrupt [seniors], taking bribes and earning salaries at the same time.”
News about police suicides, attacks by police officers on colleagues and family members are on the rise. Among the reasons given for the spike in these homicides and suicides are issues of policing within the Kenyan context.
Many officers also suffer silently under bad or unfair superiors because of the real-life consequences of reporting superiors.
Those who try find themselves transferred to hardship areas or may have to contend with career stagnation.