Interior PS Raymond Omollo has defended arrests made during protests, insisting that security agencies are acting within their constitutional mandate while warning that the wider criminal justice system must ensure accountability for offenders.
PS Omollo said law enforcement officers have a duty to intervene when demonstrations turn violent, especially in cases involving destruction of property, obstruction of roads and attacks on civilians and public officers.
The PS said arrests must be followed by meaningful judicial processes to ensure justice is fully served.
He questioned the effectiveness of lenient bail terms in cases involving serious offences such as arson and property destruction, arguing that weak deterrence risks encouraging repeat offences.
“The assurance I can give is that we will do our part, but everybody else must do their part. If we apprehend people who are blocking the roads, will the courts allow these people to be charged properly without them being, not that there’s a problem with someone being given a bail of Sh500, but think about it. You’ve burned someone’s property. You are taken to court, and you are released, and are asked to pay Sh500. What deterrence will we have tomorrow?” he said.
Omollo also cited incidents of violence against security officers, including the assault of a regional police commander in Kangemi, saying such attacks undermine law enforcement operations during unrest.
He stressed that blocking highways, destroying property, intimidating motorists and attempting to paralyse transport networks amount to criminal conduct rather than lawful protest.
“Security agencies have a duty to intervene, restore order and make arrests where offences are committed,” he said.
However, he cautioned that arrests alone do not constitute justice, arguing that accountability must extend through the entire criminal justice chain, including the courts.
“The criminal justice system is a long chain, and every institution within it carries responsibility,” he said.
Omollo warned against the growing trend of hostility towards state institutions, including attacks on police stations, courts and public property, saying such actions threaten democratic governance
He urged restraint during demonstrations and called for respect for law enforcement institutions, warning that the normalisation of destructive protest risks weakening the rule of law.
“The National Police Service is an instrument of our democracy. Without that structure, the rights we are quick to claim become meaningless. A police station burnt. A vehicle torched. A court building attacked. This hostility toward institutions of law enforcement and growing normalisation of destructive protest should trouble our collective conscience,” he said.
