An Uasin Gishu man who was arrested for setting up his own police station without authorisation has broken his silence, explaining that his actions were motivated by persistent insecurity in his community.
The man, identified as Collins Leitich, also known as Chepkulei, was apprehended on March 9, 2025, after police discovered that he had illegally established a patrol base at Cherus Centre in Kesses Sub-County.
The makeshift police post had been painted in official police colours, creating the illusion of a government-sanctioned security facility, a move that raised alarm among law enforcement officers and triggered immediate investigations by the National Police Service (NPS).
Speaking to a local TV station on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, Leitich defended his decision, stating that his efforts were not a personal venture but a collective initiative by the community.
“I’m Collins, and I am a resident of Kesses. I decided to paint that place, not as an individual but with the support of the community. We did it as a people, not as a single person, because we have all been affected by insecurity,” he stated.
Despite his arrest, Leitich maintained that he saw no wrongdoing in his actions, although he acknowledged that proper procedures may not have been fully followed.
He insisted that he and the residents had taken some necessary steps, albeit incomplete ones, in establishing the base, adding that they were now working towards ensuring everything was done legally.
“I do not see any mistake I may have made, but I understand that there is always a procedure. I cannot say definitively whether I was wrong or not, but I acknowledge that there is a process to be followed. Maybe some steps were not completed, but we had already taken a few,” he explained.
Financier
Leitich further revealed that he had personally been paying rent for the building where the patrol base was situated and intended to continue doing so for as long as the facility remained in existence.
He noted that the community had taken the initiative because the government had not yet provided them with a police post, stating that he was willing to maintain the site until such a time that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) would allocate resources for a permanent structure.
“I can say that I am simply a member of the public. I have been paying rent for the facility, and I will continue to do so for as long as it exists—whether for the next 20 years or even longer—until the CDF constructs a proper one for us,” he asserted.
Defending his decision further, Leitich explained that the area had been struggling with insecurity for years, and despite repeated pleas to the authorities, no assistance had been forthcoming.
He stated that police officers were stationed seven kilometres away, making it difficult for them to respond swiftly to emergencies.
Out of frustration and a desperate need for security, he and other residents decided to take matters into their own hands by mobilising funds for a patrol base.
“I was born in this area, and as a community, we have long suffered from insecurity. We have been asking the authorities to assist us with a police patrol base, but nothing has been done. However, we do not blame them because we understand that there are no funds for such projects. That is why we, as a community, took it upon ourselves to raise funds and establish one,” he explained.
Government regulations
Acknowledging that their actions may have contravened government regulations, Leitich expressed his willingness to cooperate with the authorities to rectify any legal breaches.
He stated that while the community may have unintentionally erred, their intention was purely to enhance security, and they were now committed to ensuring that everything was done in accordance with the law.
“Perhaps we have wronged the government, and for that, we apologise. But moving forward, we will ensure that everything is done procedurally,” he concluded.
