The row between the Kenya Police service and the Kenya Defence forces never seem to go away any time soon.
About 12 Kenya Defence Forces officers Wednesday stormed the Diani Police Station cells and rescued a colleague who had been arrested and detained.
Sgt Suleiman Hamisi Banda, 30, had reportedly gone to the station to demand for the release of his motorcycle detained by police over claims it had been used in criminal activities.
The motorcycle was towed to the station after its rider allegedly abandoned it by the roadside after being flagged down by police.
Banda is said to have arrived at the station demanding for its release but the police refused and instead asked him to produce the rider who fled plus ownership documents.
An argument reportedly ensued and turned into a fist fight. An hour later, a military truck ferrying 12 soldiers arrived at the station. The soldiers stormed the cell, rescued their colleague and took away the confiscated motorbike.
Three weeks ago, following the arrest of a drunk Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier, officers at the Lang’ata Police Station had to face an encounter with five of the soldier’s colleagues.
Nairobi Regional Commander Philip Ndolo reported that five KDF officers stormed the police station and demanded the immediate release of their colleague.
“The soldiers most probably had been drinking and they did not appreciate what our officers were trying to do. As a result, there was a scuffle, but we handed them over to the military which will deal with them in their own way,” he said.
The police boss added that the arrested soldier had assaulted a traffic officer along Kitengela Road before he was arrested and detained at the Langata police station.
The KDF soldier “wrestled him to the ground claiming the (police) were blocking the road,” a police report read.
The soldiers were however later subdued and handed over to the military police for processing, leading to a calm of the situation.