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KDF, police reach truce after Likoni altercation

KDF Mtongwe navy officers during a reconciliation meeting with the Likoni Sub-County Security Committee at Likoni on April 29, 2024. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

By Farhiya Hussein | Tuesday, April 30, 2024

The meeting discussed collaboration among agencies and transparent communication channels.

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers from Mtongwe Kenya Naval Base convened a reconciliation session with the Likoni sub-county security committee as they discussed collaboration among agencies and transparent communication channels.

The meeting comes after last week’s incident where KDF soldiers got into a physical altercation with police officers while at the Likoni-Ferry Crossing Channel.

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The soldiers led by Base Commander Lt. Col. John Mutabari, along with Deputy County Commissioner Likoni Mwangi Wambugu, Likoni Sub-county police commander Geoffrey Ruheni, Kenya Ports Authority security, ferry operations manager, and intelligence committee, reconciled their disputes and committed to preventing any future occurrences of such incidents.

"We discussed the need for mutual respect, collaboration between agencies, and open lines of communication to prevent a similar incident from happening again." a senior officer who was present at the meeting said.

KDF, police reach truce after Likoni altercation
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On Sunday KDF issued a statement following confrontations involving its personnel and police officers terming the incident as highly regrettable.

It noted that an inquiry was initiated to look into the clash on Saturday night at the Likoni Ferry.

“This evening at the Likoni Ferry, KDF soldiers were involved in a scuffle that has been circulated through various social media mediums. To establish the circumstances leading to the incident, Military Police and requisite investigation agencies are currently handling the matter. As KDF personnel, we are beholden to the core value of professionalism,” KDF stated.

The same day in Kilifi, a military officer entered a police station, assaulted officers, and released a prisoner.

According to a police statement, the KDF officer physically attacked a police officer, forcibly freeing the suspect by breaking through a steel door and window pane in the report office.