The National Police Service is facing backlash after dismissing reports on the arrest and possible arraignment of Nairobi Central OCS Dishen Ongoya, despite earlier police reports and intervention by the Law Society of Kenya appearing to confirm his detention.

📻 Breaking It Down

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 20 — The National Police Service (NPS) has come under sharp public criticism after dismissing reports surrounding the arrest of Nairobi Central OCS Dishen Ongoya as “entirely erroneous and misleading”.

NPS denied Chief Inspector Ongoya’s arrest even as earlier police reports confirmed his detention.

In a statement issued Tuesday evening, NPS Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said social media reports alleging that Ongoya was being processed for a court appearance were false.

📌 What You Need to Know

“The National Police Service wishes to respond to entirely erroneous and misleading social media reports alleging that the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) of Central Police Station, Nairobi, was being processed for a court appearance. This information is incorrect,” the statement read.

NPS maintained that disciplinary matters involving police officers are handled internally through established administrative and disciplinary mechanisms and clarified that “at no time was the OCS of Central Police Station processed for a court appearance.”

The service further urged the public to verify information directly from official police communication channels instead of relying on social media reports.

However, the clarification triggered widespread backlash online after users pointed to earlier police reports circulating in the media indicating that Ongoya had indeed been arrested by the Deputy Regional Police Commander over allegations of abuse of office linked to the release of sixty-four suspects detained during Monday’s nationwide fuel protests.

The controversy intensified after observers noticed that comments had been restricted on the official NPS account on X shortly after the statement was posted, fuelling criticism from Kenyans who accused the service of attempting to silence public scrutiny amid conflicting accounts surrounding the officer’s status.

The report suggested that Ongoya authorised the release of dozens of suspects arrested during anti-government demonstrations linked to rising fuel prices and the escalating cost of living.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya