Shots fired as KDF storm Lang'ata police station to release colleague

Shots fired as KDF storm Lang'ata police station

Mumbi Mutuko

April 10, 2019 2:07 PM

KDF soldiers fight police officers at Lang'ata

Kenya Defence Forces soldiers (Twitter)

Chaos engulfed the Lang'ata police station after soldiers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) stormed the station seeking the release of a colleague who had been arrested over assault claims.

According to reports, shots were fired in the air as police sought reinforcement to contain the soldiers who were not armed.

The KDF soldier was arrested and detained after a brawl with a traffic officer along Kitengela Road.

File image of a Police station Pulse Live Kenya

Cause of brawl

Constable Dennis Mwangi told his seniors he was attending to an accident on the road when the soldier confronted him accusing him of causing a traffic jam and blocking the road.

Mwangi claimed the KDF soldier assaulted him before he called for reinforcement and managed to arrest the soldier who was taken to the nearby station.

After other KDF soldiers heard their colleague was being held at the police station, five colleagues from the nearby Langata barracks walked to the station and sought to have him released on bond or cash bail.

Police firing

However, the officers refused to release the soldier, which led to a confrontation and forced one of the police officers to shoot in the air.

Two police officers at the station claimed they had been roughed up in the process, however, the soldiers denied claims that they had roughed up the police officers.

The soldiers were later subdued and handed over to the military police for processing after an officer fired 16 rounds of ammunition in the air.

Military Police usually handle issues affecting soldiers unless it is a serious matter like murder and robbery with violence.

Mumbi Mutuko