Residents of the Kamukunji area in Nairobi have formally petitioned the Inspector General of Police concerning the branding of the California Police Station by a private company.
The petition, submitted on September 17 by E&D Advocates on behalf of the Kamukunji Dwellers Association, alleges that the station has undergone branding and operates under purported sponsorship from an entity identified as ATIS.
The association contends in its letter that this arrangement constitutes an unconstitutional privatization of a state security facility.
The document states that the community has expressed “outrage and deep concern” over the development, which it characterizes as a “corporate intrusion” and a betrayal of public trust in the National Police Service.
The petition makes specific allegations against the station’s commander, Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Aden Denge Guyo.
It claims he acts as an “agent of ATIS,” and that under this influence, the station has carried out arbitrary arrests and harassment of citizens.
These actions are stated to be performed at the behest of private interests rather than public duty.
Furthermore, the letter identifies the owner of ATIS as Abdi Aidid. It includes an allegation that Aidid is a foreigner who acquired a Kenyan identification document.
The residents claim that the OCS’s focus has shifted to serving this individual’s interests, thereby neglecting the broader community.
The Kamukunji Dwellers Association has issued a set of demands to the Inspector General. These include the immediate removal of all ATIS branding from the police station, the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against OCS Aden Denge Guyo, and the issuance of a directive explicitly prohibiting the branding or sponsorship of police stations by private entities.
The advocates representing the association have given a 14-day deadline for these demands to be met.
They have stated that failure to comply will result in an escalation of the matter through constitutional litigation, public engagement, and lawful mass action.
Copies of the formal demand letter have also been sent to the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and the Director of Criminal Investigations for their review.
