Natembeya defends Kanja, says IG can professionalise police service
Trans-Nzoia County Governor George Natembeya has come out in defence of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, stating that with the necessary support and opportunity, he is capable of delivering a highly professional police service.
Speaking during a radio interview on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Natembeya addressed the growing criticism directed at the police chief, insisting that despite the negative public perception, Kanja has the capacity and leadership required to transform the police service if properly empowered.
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“Mimi najua huyu IG Kanja ambaye watu wanasema ni mbaya akipewa opportunity vizuri ya kufanya kazi tunaweza kuwa na a very professional service,” Natembeya said.
He pointed out that some of the challenges being witnessed in the police sector, especially during the handling of demonstrations, stem from frustrations among officers. According to Natembeya, many officers have gone for years without promotions, while others are grappling with personal issues, leading them to release their frustrations to the public during protests.
He faulted the government for deploying officers battling internal frustrations and mental health challenges to manage crowds during protests. He described the aggression directed at protestors by police officers as misplaced anger, noting that the very issues being raised by demonstrators are the same challenges officers themselves face within the service.
“Wale ma officer ambao wanatumwa kwa barabara; sasa utapata ya kwamba wengine wako na shida tofauti, wengine hawajawahi kuwa promoted, wengine ni walevi, wengine labda wako na maloan. Watoto wake wako nyumbani,” he added.
Mbona serikali inatuma maofficer ambao wako na changamoto sa akili kwenye Barabara kwenda ku deal na Watoto ambao maneno wanayo express pia hao polisi wanapitia.
Police brutality
This comes at a time when the public is slowly losing trust in the police service, with cases of police brutality now escalating, especially in dealing with protestors.
With the recent just-concluded protests that saw 19 lose their lives through bullets being fired at them by police.
The incident that caught the attention of the public was the shooting of Boniface Mwangi, a mask seller who was performing his duties during demos but was shot by police at close range, forcing him to be hospitalised at Kenyatta National Hospital for days, but later succumbed to the bullet injuries.
