An attempt by police to justify a controversial tax collection operation inside Pension Towers in Nairobi on Friday was Saturday met with condemnation for its disregard for facts and the law.
National Police Service Spokesman Bruno Shioso angered Kenyans with his explanation of what happened in an incident where activist Boniface Mwangi clashed with a group of at least four “tax officers” accompanied by a policeman who called himself an enforcer. Mr Mwangi later said the group was visiting businesses in the building door-to-door – apparently to collect tax arrears.
The group claimed to be from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), but Mr Mwangi, who was filming away as he engaged them, demanded that they produce their identification before they could enter a barbershop he was in.
None did.
That was the start of dramatic events that saw more armed officers arrive at the spot, angered by the fact that Mr Mwangi was recording the proceedings. The immediate demand was that Mr Mwangi stop recording the scene, which he refused.
Mr Shioso’s version of events is that the police in the video had lawfully been assigned to enforce revenue collection by Nairobi Metropolitan Services and KRA.
“Some defaulters had already been arrested when the subject activist – who it is believed has an office within the building – accosted the police and KRA officers, challenging them to identify themselves,” read Mr Shioso’s statement.
“The subject activist persisted in his ‘identification’ argument despite the police officers being fully dressed in their official uniforms and being armed with official weapons,” it added.
Activist’s injury
The police spokesman went on to claim that an injury Mr Mwangi sustained, and whose images the activist shared on social media, was not inflicted by police but by himself when he “felled himself on the floor to cause a commotion that was meant to aid the escape of the arrested defaulters”.
Curiously, however, KRA did not back the actions of the people who claimed to be from the authority and who refused to identify themselves as demanded by Mr Mwangi.
“Kindly note that all KRA staff on duty must always provide identification before entering your premises,” the authority had said in a tweet on Friday evening.
Mr Shioso’s statement about police being in official uniform (they also did not identify themselves) also flew against a remark that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Hilary Mutyambai, made in April during an online interaction with Kenyans.
He had written: “Police officers have been trained on the procedure of self-identification while on duty. It is mandatory for any police officer to identify himself as stipulated in the Police Procedure Code.”
Those contradictions, plus the stretching of other facts captured in the video by Mr Shioso, attracted criticism and lectures from Kenyans online.
“Please relieve Bruno of his duties. He either doesn’t have the professional knowhow of official communication or he is just another rogue officer in your premises,” Kibet posted, tagging the Inspector-General.
“The current level of information in Kenyans cannot be afforded by this kind of communication. It breeds more distrust and ultimately contempt!”
Alive to facts
Njuguna tweeted: “It’s very unfortunate when a government institution lies to the public who are alive to the facts without batting an eyelid. It’s better to keep quiet.”
Other respondents produced a page from the police standing orders which indicates that an officer should always have a name tag or badge on the left breast.
Others questioned the rationale behind having General Service Unit officers taking part in tax collection enforcement.
Mr Mwangi had tweeted: “It’s Friday and they’re picking people from shops, beating them and taking them to a lorry for not having ‘branding licenses.'”
Wainaina wrote Saturday: “There are clear procedures set out in the law when making demands for payment of taxes and levies. Under no circumstances should KRA detain and assault a citizen who has fallen behind on his tax obligation in the guise of collecting taxes.”