Outrage as Kenyans protest ban on police marrying colleagues

Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Co-ordination of National Government Fred Matiang’i wants police officers barred from marrying each other.

Such a ban exists in the Kenya Defence Forces where officers are not allowed to marry their colleagues.

The CS wants the ministry to formulate rules that will prevent men and women in the police service from dating and marrying so that cases of couples killing each other can end, if not reduced.

“Moving forward, it will be illegal for a police officer to date or get married to a fellow law enforcement officer. If two police officers fall in love, then one has to leave the Service,” he said.

“We will adopt a system similar to that of the Kenya Defence Forces which bars the soldiers from getting into intimate relationships with their colleagues.”

A section of Kenyans has, however, protested the move saying it is not only unlawful but will also not end the perennial cases of murders.

Narok Senator Ledama Ole kina took to his Twitter handle to react to the news where he told off the CS saying it is impossible.

“I love Kenya! Now the National Police Service Commission want to determine and control how people fall in Love! My heart bleeds for lovers in the police service! Hapa hutawezana CS Matiang’i,” he tweeted.

” The IG doesn’t really understand officers. That demand for police not to marry colleagues should be immediately withdrawn. IG should get to learn the officers. He is totally misdiagnosing the problem,” he said.

Media personality Massawe Jappanni tweeted: ” Matiangí…Hm…That wasn’t clever at all!!”

“What is my world?? What kind of thinking is this?? Police officers are depressed not because of their cop spouses, but because they generally don’t get counselling,” wrote Fredrick Muitiriri on Facebook,

CS Matiang’i’s directive comes barely a month after a General Service Unit officer attached to his office shot his wife more than five times and thereafter turned the trigger on himself.

The GSU officer Hudson Wakise killed his wife Pauline Wakasa over what emerged to be a protected marriage conflict.

“Illicit love stories will be on the rise and again this is a naive way of thinking, Things like love are naturally wired, setting not-withstanding. Let people marry as they wish, Free world is what we stand for. Matiang’i must come slowly,” Ouma Onyango tweeted.

Last week, the ODM leader Raila Odinga commented on the rising cases of family murders in the country where he urged couples to exercise tolerance.

The ODM leader said it is important that couples learn to cope with each other at times of disagreement or leave in peace if it’s difficult to do so.

“This scourge must come to an end. The abnormality of these murders cannot become the normal No! If you cannot reconcile, then, leave and let life,” he advised.