Babu Owino Demands Action After Police Assault Pool Players in Nandi

Uniformed police officers were recorded assaulting young men at a pool hall in Nandi Hills on the night of 10 January, prompting calls from political leaders and rights groups for disciplinary action and criminal investigations.

Footage circulating on social media shows officers armed with batons and rifles entering the establishment and ordering patrons to lie on the floor before striking several of them. The eight-minute surveillance video indicates that 12 men were inside the hall when police demanded identification.

The situation escalated after one patron attempted to leave, leading to a violent response by the officers. Embakasi East MP Babu Owino condemned the incident, describing it as an abuse of police authority. He said recreational activities such as playing pool are lawful and should not be treated as criminal behaviour.

Owino called for the arrest and prosecution of the officers involved, stating that police cannot act as arresting officers, prosecutors and judges at the same time.

Public reaction online was swift, with widespread demands for intervention by the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja. Many users questioned the justification for the use of force and called for immediate accountability.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei also criticised the officers’ actions, saying they violated constitutional standards governing police conduct. He cited Article 244 of the Constitution, which requires the police to respect human rights and uphold professionalism. Cherargei urged the Inspector General to suspend the officers to allow for independent investigations and called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to pursue prosecutions.

He further asked the Senate Committee on National Security to take up the matter, criticising IPOA for what he described as slow action in previous cases, including alleged killings in Kimwani, Nandi County. The incident comes amid continuing concern over police conduct in Kenya.

According to the Missing Voices Annual Report 2024–2025, 104 people were killed in police-related incidents and 55 others were forcibly disappeared during the reporting period. Young men accounted for the majority of the cases.

The report also documented the June to August 2024 protests against the Finance Bill, during which at least 63 demonstrators were killed and more than 65 people disappeared.