The many cases of police officers suspected of involvement in crime are a source of grave concern.
Here are people who are expected to enforce law and order but deviously target the same citizens they are supposed to protect.
It is an abuse of trust that threatens to erode the public confidence in the National Police Service, an indispensable institution in society.
Rogue police officers are committing crimes, including robberies. Nearly 50 officers have been charged with various crimes in the past five weeks.
Recently, a policeman is suspected to have been in a gang that robbed traders of millions of shillings in Eastleigh, Nairobi.
On September 26, a soldier and three Administration Police constables were arrested over a Sh72 million ATM bank heist, also in the capital city.
It is not surprising, therefore, to hear that the National Police Service Commission has warned the public to be on the lookout for a criminal who is armed and dangerous but, most importantly, is a police officer gone rogue.
This is chilling. It is an indication that something has gone pretty wrong with this institution, whose cardinal duty is to fight crime.
Worse, the crooks use government-issue guns. It can never get more depraved. True, the Internal Affairs Unit and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have stepped up efforts to rid the service of criminals in uniform.
Also playing a key role is the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa), which says it has prosecuted 67 such cases. But more needs to be done.
Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai says this is not a true reflection of the service but, nevertheless, concedes that a few crooked officers are tainting its image.
The crooks in uniform must be flushed out and punished.
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