IG Kanja Orders Probe After Police Filmed Assaulting Person With Disability at Nakuru Gen Z Protests

Inspector General Douglas Kanja has ordered an urgent internal investigation after video footage showing police officers violently handling a person living with a disability went viral following the Gen Z anniversary protests in Nakuru on June 25. The clip, which spread rapidly across social media platforms, has reignited a heated national debate about police conduct during public demonstrations and the protection of the country's most vulnerable citizens.

The National Police Service acknowledged the incident in an official statement, making clear that the officers' actions fell well outside accepted professional standards. "The Service strongly condemns all forms of unprofessional conduct, excessive force, or breaches of established procedures," the statement read. The response signals a recognition that the footage poses a serious reputational challenge for a police force already facing scrutiny over its handling of protests across the country.

The disturbing footage shows officers forcibly stripping the man of his crutches before dragging and restraining him on the ground. The scenes triggered an immediate wave of outrage from disability rights advocates, human rights defenders, and civil society organisations, all of whom demanded that those responsible be held fully accountable without delay.

IG Kanja has tasked the Internal Affairs Unit with completing a thorough probe within seven days, with appropriate disciplinary action expected to follow once the findings are established. The National Police Service also appealed to members of the public who may have witnessed or recorded additional footage of the incident to come forward and share information through official reporting channels.

The National Council for Persons with Disabilities issued a strongly worded statement, branding the officers' conduct as "a very sad and dehumanizing" violation of the rights and dignity of a Kenyan who depends on mobility aids to move through daily life. The Council stressed that devices such as crutches are not optional extras but are central to the independence and dignity of people living with disabilities. It called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to launch its own separate investigation and demanded that all officers seen in the footage face formal disciplinary proceedings.

The incident has become the most controversial episode to emerge from the June 25 demonstrations, overshadowing other events from the anniversary protests and intensifying scrutiny over how police manage encounters with vulnerable members of the public during crowd-control operations.

With disability advocacy groups and civil society organisations keeping the pressure on, many Kenyans are watching closely to see whether the seven-day investigation will produce genuine accountability or whether — as has happened in past high-profile cases — the process will stall without real consequences for those involved.