A section of leaders from Viwandani in Nairobi’s Industrial area have called on the National Police Service to move with speed and transfer from the area senior police hierarchy led by LungaLunga Officer Commanding Station (OCS) for allegedly standing in the way in the fight against alcohol abuse and crime in the area.
Speaking, the leaders said that the OCS has become an impediment to the concerted efforts by authorities and community leaders to rid the area of the vices of alcoholism and rampant crime and his transfer was inevitable.
The Nairobi City County Government set up a mental health service department at the Sinai Outpatient Rehabilitation Center to help rehabilitate residents who are faced with the rising cases of alcoholism in the area; However, efforts by the county administration and leaders in the community have been hitting headwinds as their efforts are watered down by the OCS who the leaders say is hell bend on collecting bribes from alcohol sellers while crime continues to rise in the area.
According to the leaders, the rogue OCS needs to be transferred from the area if any improvement wil be seen in this fight. The leaders also told reporters that the OCS has been on the loose raiding youths who have set up small businesses and extorting bribes from them to secure their release. According to them, this was a precursor to a rise in the crime rate as the youths feel victimized while doing their legitimate businesses while known criminals, who are well known to the area OCS are left Scot-free.
“This OCS just prioritizes collecting bribes from bars and illegal alcohol dens but when it comes to crime, he is doing very little to help the community. He has been arresting innocent businessmen who are mostly youths in the area and one has to part with a bribe to let free but for the criminals, he does not have them arrested and even when they are reported to the police by residents, they are soon released. So we see the OCS as a security threat to this community,”said one of the leaders who sought anonymity.
The leaders have now called on inspector of police Japhet Koome to intervene and make a reshuffle to his officers at Lungalunga with the transfer of the rogue officer as the country continues with the fight against alcohol abuse and crime.
The leaders also called on the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to take note of their pleas. Gachagua has been at the fore front in leading the fight against illegal alcohol in the country.
