Kenya: A female officer who recently went viral after sharing a video in which she is complaining of sexual harassment and discrimination by senior officers has now gone a step further and released a song.
The move comes weeks after the country’s Office of the Inspector General of Police prohibited police officers from sharing any information on the Service operations with the public.
Police Constable (PC) Viviana Williams, who is based in Mombasa, has released a song titled Kilio Changu, which reportedly features an unidentified male Administration Police (AP) officer.
In the song, the officer reiterates the earlier sentiments she made in her viral video, saying she is tired of the police service and wants to be relieved from her duties.
“I have no interest in being a police officer. I am telling my seniors, hear my cries. I have sent letters to the office but they are not received. I am tired of loving the jobs where bribes are the order of the day. I am not interested,” she sings.
Amewatolea ngoma sasa
Watakoma kunyanyasa wadogo wao
Video courtesy pic.twitter.com/68SN8hpp33
— TheRealMvitaOne (@FauzKhalid) July 1, 2021
Her new song comes weeks after the Police IG ordered the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) of the National Police Service to probe the matter while at the same time warning banning them from using social media as a platform for airing their grievances or speaking about the challenges that they undergo in the course of their duties.
Police officers have also been gagged from talking to the press without permission.
In a signal circulated to all officers last month, the IG warned any officer found sharing information with either the press or social media will face disciplinary action.
“The Inspector-General has noted with a lot of concern that officers have developed a habit of using social media to advance their grievances without exhausting the laid down channels which include quality assurance/ complaint and gender offices at the service headquarters or the Internal Affairs Unit,” says a memo sent by Mwangi Wanderi on behalf of the Director of Criminal Investigations.
This comes on the backdrop of an increase in cases by officers taking to social media after being frustrated by their bosses.
