A seemingly routine roadblock operation turned into a high-stakes confrontation between police and Kenya Defence Force (KDF) personnel on Tuesday, leading to gunfire and a dramatic police station standoff.
VIDEO: Police overpower KDF soldiers who stormed station to free arrested colleagues
Gun-drama ensued between police officers & KDF soldiers
Police overpower KDF soldiers who stormed police station to free arrested colleagues
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At approximately 11:00 am, while manning a roadblock near Mt. Kenya, Police Constable Cleophas Makhapila and his colleagues encountered a KDF water bowser.
The incident escalated when the driver of the bowser allegedly exited the vehicle and slapped Pc Makhapila for allegedly delaying the removal of the barrier.
"The driver alighted and slapped the officer on his right cheek," according to the police report filed by Pc Makhapila himself.
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The confrontation intensified rapidly as another KDF officer stepped out and wielded an AK47 rifle, threatening the police constable.
The officer fired four shots into the ground, with Pc Makhapila recalling the harrowing moment: "He cocked immediately and uttered the words 'sisi tumeua alshabaab wengi, naweza kumaliza wewe sai' [we have killed many Al-Shabaab, I can finish you now]."
The KDF officers departed toward Lodwar town as the police officers reported the incident.
This led to an operation by Turkana Central Sub-County Police Commander Samuel Boit.
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The police traced the bowser to Moi Garden in Lodwar, where further altercations occurred.
"When they were ordered to surrender, the driver cocked his AK47 assault rifle," the report states, leading to police firing warning shots to subdue the situation.
The contingent of police officers was able to arrest the soldiers and take them to Lodwar Police Station.
The situation culminated at Lodwar Police Station, where a contingent of KDF officers arrived, briefly heightening tensions.
"A section of KDF officers arrived on board a Land Cruiser and cordoned the station," detailed the report, causing a temporary pause in local court proceedings.
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Lieutenant D. O. Okelo, leading the KDF group, managed to de-escalate the conflict, directing his men to calm down and retreat.
The arrested KDF officers, refusing to identify themselves, were subsequently detained and charged with robbery with violence.
This incident highlights the historic tensions between police officers and KDF soldiers.
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