Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has asked police officers to live within their means and avoid peer pressure by all means.
The police boss said some officers are stretching themselves beyond the limit in their quest to show off and prove to society that they are living their best life.
“Just yesterday a fellow officer went to a club and imbibed alcohol, he got a bill of Sh16,000 and resorted to harming people. That will not wait for Ipoa, he’s going to court,” Koome said.
He was speaking on Thursday during the joint Commemorative Service for the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service fallen heroes at the National Police Service College, Embakasi.
A police officer shot and killed a barmaid in an argument over a bill at a Nakuru pub in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The officer also injured three revellers before fleeing but was later arrested and locked up.
Koome said alcoholism remains one of the biggest problems afflicting officers and asked them to stop overindulgence.
“Mambo ya ulevi ndungu zanguni tuache, and we have decided to lead by example. Mimi na service commanders wangu hatuonji hii kitu,” Koome said.
In a humorous style that aroused laughter from the audience, the IG said peer pressure has pushed some junior officers to take car loans just a few months after graduating with no other aim other than showing off.
“Walipass out January sahii nakutana nao kwa barabara wanakimbia na Subaru...amekimbia pale kwa benki amechukuwa loan milioni tatu anakimbia kununua Subaru, na si ya nia ingine ni ya kutisha IG,” Koome said causing laughter from the audience.
(Their pass out was in January but I now meet them on the road with Subaru...one takes a Sh3 million bank loan and rushes to acquire a Subaru, just to scare the IG)
“Wakati niko kwa barabara naendesha pick-up yangu wewe unataka kuniovertake unaniekea hazard. Sasa jameni unatisha IG for what?” he posed.
(When I’m on the road with my pick-up, you overtake me and put hazard. So, why are you scaring the IG?)
While emphasising the need for officers to live within their means, the IG said he too came under pressure from his peers when he was appointed the IG to move to the leafy Karen suburbs but he declined to take the advice.
Koome said he told the advisers that he was comfortable with his current place of residence where he has been for the last 22 years.
“So colleagues get it from me, you must be able to withstand peer pressure as a police officer,” he said.
Present during the event were Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, DCI boss Amin Mohamed, Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Muhia-Beacco, Principal Administrative Secretary, National Police Service Bernadette Lemedeket and Kenya Prisons Service Commissioner General John Warioba.
Also in attendance was Chairperson of, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Ann Makori, Vice Chairperson, of National Police Service Commission Alice Otwalla and Deputy Inspector General of Police, in charge of Kenya Police Douglas Kanja.