MP Wambugu defends GSU graduands who were captured making ‘reckless remarks’ in viral video

By , K24 Digital
On Thu, 9 Dec, 2021 10:05 | 2 mins read
Screenshot of GSU graduands celebrating their graduation. PHOTO/COURTESY

Ngunjiri Wambugu, the Nyeri Town Member of Parliament has defended a group of young General Service Unit (GSU) officers who were captured in an amateur video threatening Kenyans, shortly after they left their training camp.

The group of the GSU officers who graduated on Wednesday, December 8 was captured in the clip that has since gone viral as they issued reckless remarks hours before they were released from the camp.

Wambugu, who is serving his first term in parliament said that it would be wrong if action is taken against the officers as he maintained that the trainees go through a lot while locked up in the camps.

“The young men shown in that clip have been locked in an intensive multi-month-long training & re-socializing program that essentially turns them from ordinary Kenyans, into soldiers,” he said.

“They will shout and scream. I'm sure it happens at every graduation from the intensive security training,” he added.

Wambugu said that such remarks and shouting are always made in every graduation and those in yesterday’s case were unlucky because they recorded themselves before releasing it to civilians.

He said that it is out of order to punish the officers for recording themselves on video.

“Give the young men a break. Hiyo ni joto ya graduation and it will end pretty fast out here. Plus they didn’t do any harm to anyone. They are just kids who made it through a tough school,” he said.

The lawmaker's statement comes after the National Police Service (NPS) revealed a statement condemning the actions of the GSU graduands.

It said that how the officers were behaving was not acceptable and did not reflect what is expected of the new graduates.

“We wish to clarify and assure the public that the behaviour portrayed in the clip is not acceptable and does not reflect the values of the GSU, Kenya Police Service and the National Police Service (NPS),” the police service said in a statement.

According to the police employer, every officer who graduated yesterday has been undergoing rigorous value-based training which is designed to make them responsive and responsible officers of the law.

The police service also revealed that they will conduct internal investigations and take necessary action against the officers.