'Fake policewoman' is detained following TV appearance

An aspiring politician from Kenya was detained when it was discovered that she had pretended to be a police officer while participating as a panelist on a television program.

The suspect, Monica Wamaitha Gitau, was wearing a full police uniform during the Wednesday morning chat show on a local station.

Police arrived at the television station right away after "questioning the reliability" of Ms. Wamaithai, a panelist on the morning show.

The accused person and the channel, Inooro TV, have not responded to the accusations.

In a tweet, police stated that "she is presently aiding with investigations for the charge of impersonating a police officer."

According to the police, she is running for a parliamentary position as the county representative for Nairobi in the August elections.

To prevent future occurrences of such incidents, police have advised media outlets to thoroughly investigate policemen before asking them for interviews.

After reportedly posing as an assistant commissioner of police for five years, Joshua Waiganjo was prosecuted in 2013.

During this time, he is alleged to have fired and hired police personnel in the province of Rift Valley.

In May 2020, the High Court declared Mr. Waiganjo to be innocent. The verdict has been challenged by the prosecution.