DPP throws out charges against Sophia Njeri, the woman who filmed police harassing passenger

DPP saves woman who filmed police harassing passenger

Mumbi Mutuko

February 8, 2019 2:06 PM

Sophia Njeri gets last laugh

Sophia Njeri at the DPP's office

A woman who filmed police harassing a passenger has been saved by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

On Friday, the office of the DPP at the Makadara Law Courts threw out the charges against Sophia Njeri noting that it was not a crime to record police doing their job.

Sophia Njeri at Kasarani Police Station Pulse Live Kenya

Njeri posted the 1:40-minute recording saying it had led to her arrest and that she was being taken to Kasarani Police Station.

Twitter uproar

Her plight led to the trending hashtag topic #ReleaseNjeri on Twitter with thousands of Kenyans online urging the National Police Service to intervene and secure her release.

The public, while condemning the officers for intimidating citizens, further agitated for their arrest and subsequent prosecution.

The Independent Oversight Policing Authority, (IPOA) condemned her arrest, with their spokesperson, Dennis Okech stating that they raised the matter with the Kasarani police station.

Charge sheet

Ms Njeri had been charged with Obstruction in the execution of duty according to a charge sheet created at the Kasarani Police station.