The police spokesperson Bruno Shioso has refuted claims that the police favour politicians on enforcing Covid containment measures.
In an interview with a local station, Shioso defended the police on why they do not arrest politicians who have been organizing rallies yet the ministry of health banned political gatherings.
“We don’t work in favour of politicians. We are there for the rule of law, and we are supposed to operate fairly and passionately,” Shioso said.
According to the spokesperson, it is hard for the police to enforce the law against politicians because of huge crowds that turn up for the rallies.
Shioso further blamed those who turn up for the events without observing the regulations that the ministry of health set.
“With the election period fast approaching, people are gathering in large numbers and there is really not much you can do in such a situation. So we are just trying to be responsive while analyzing the situation. I am not trying to say what they are doing is legal because it isn’t,” Shioso said.
He also said that they have tried cautioning the politicians as well as the public in general against flouting the measures but their efforts have proved futile.
“We’ve been issuing press statements, but at times the gatherings are just too large and that is a challenge. If a gathering is small enough, we will arrest all persons involved,” he noted.
Kenyans who were following the interview had questioned Shioso why the police were very ruthless in enforcing other measures such as the dusk to dawn curfew yet they remained silent when it came to political gatherings.
Recently, Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen asked president Uhuru Kenyatta to stop the hypocrisy and end the curfew while saying that it benefitted politicians more as compared to a common mwananchi.
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