Police disown Chepkulei, probe his village patrol base

Police have disowned actions by Collins Leitich alias Chepkulei who set up a police patrol base at Cherus shopping centre in Uasin-Gishu County.

National Police Service spokesperson Michael Muchiri said even though there was a plan to establish a police station in the area, Chepkulie did not use the correct procedure.

Muchiri said, when putting up a station a lot of issues are put into consideration and including several meetings to ensure that everything is in order adding that where a community makes requests is also factored in.

This process he said sometimes takes time.

“We have seen everything including what the people are saying on social media but what we have established is that the said station was not operational as claimed,” Muchiri explained.

He added, “That was a good idea but he decided to start from the top, in fact the worst part was going ahead to paint the building with the police colours,”

Muchiri said that at the moment, area county commanders have been asked to look into the matter and advise on how to handle it and appropriate action that will be meted upon Chepkulie.

Police have now been tasked to investigate circumstances under he established a police patrol base without following due procedure.

Chepkulei became a man of interest after word went around that he had established a police base at Cherus shopping centre in the county.

Chepkulei's case resurfaced from a police report widely circulated describing him as a man under investigations having painted the said building with all the police force colours without the knowledge of any senior police officers.

Since then, Kenyans have been wondering how a private citizen managed to establish a government installation, a job that is only reserved to the government.

On Tuesday,  Chekulei told The Standard that he resorted to establish the police base to curb crime rate in the area.

 He said that the community around was also involved and that this was not supposed to be a fully-fledged station but where police would camp when around the area.

“The patrol base was only five days old when it was highlighted, and it was meant for the good of the community, Cherus shopping centre is along the highway and the cases of insecurity have been on the rise,” he said.

“I live around the shopping centre and I am a victim of the robberies, in fact I have lot several sheep to daring robbers that is why after meeting with the community elders, they identified the building where we put up the base,”

Chepkulie argues that he had made wide consolations before going ahead with the idea claiming that local authorities were aware of what he was up to and that local administration attended one of the planning meetings.

“There are few people I had consulted before starting it because you cannot start building a police station without proper procedures and those whom I had reached out over the matter were working on the legal issues,” he said.

“Locals understand how we have been pushing to have stations around in vain including asking for CDF, it will be so unfortunate to close something that is a basic need because the area is not secure," added Chepkulei

He said while he cannot quantify the amount of money that he had spent on the project, he said part of it was acquiring the paint that was used and paying the workers.

Since the matter went public, Chepkulei says his life has been chaotic claiming that it could be normal sabotage.

“I don’t know what the move has turned against me yet I am not a politician and not planning to join politics, but my plea is that the project will continue as planned,” he said.