Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai on Sunday ordered the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate claims of sexual harassment by a female officer.
The officer, who is yet to be identified, was captured in a viral video clip lamenting about alleged sexual harassment and discrimination by her bosses in the National Police Service.
Mutyambai ordered DCI to probe the sexual harassment and unfair treatment claims by the cop attached to the Traffic Department in Mombasa County and file a report with him within 7 days.
“I have learnt of a video trending on social media where a female Police Officer is captured lamenting against unfair treatment and sexual harassment. The officer is attached to the Traffic Department in Mombasa County,” Mutyambai said in post on social media.
He added, “She had complained against a merchant hence subjected to an inquiry by @DCI_Kenya officers resulting into a departmental action. I have directed the Gender and Children Directorate to independently investigate the matter and give a report within 7 days.”
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In the viral clip, the female traffic officer can be heard appealing to the IG to permit her to resign from the police service, a move she claims her bosses have been blocking.
“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 says in the video saying she has had enough of the alleged mistreatment.
She also accuses the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) of being corruption-ridden and inept, calling on President Uhuru Kenyatta to disband it.
“I would also love to address My Excellency to just disband the Internal Affairs (Unit). There’s no office there! We are suffering. That office is full of corruption and they are just there earning their salaries,” she laments.
This comes as concern rises over mental health in the National Police Service amid rising cases of police suicides, attacks and killings by police officers on spouses and colleagues.