K24 Forced To Pull Down Story Linking Deputy IG Mbugua To A Love Triangle With A Junior Officer

K24 was forced to retract a story from their website that had sensationally linked the Deputy Inspector General (IG) of Police Edward Mbugua to a love triangle with a junior cop and his wife.

According to the now deleted story, the publication had alleged that the policeman identified as Wycliffe Ombede, who broke down in tears while narrating his trouble claimed he received a call from a man who introduced himself as his boss and told him to keep away from his wife or suffer dire consequences.

He said that the caller went ahead and threatened him that he should stop calling his ex-wife forthwith or face serious consequences.

“I’m calling to let you know that the girlfriend of yours is now my wife and you should keep off from her,” Ombede reported.

Eldoret based police officer Wycliffe Ombede at a Milimani court on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.

Ombede who has been charged with threatening to kill his ex-wife whom he identified as Grace and her current husband alleged to K24 that the Deputy Inspector General of Police Edward Mbugua is the man who stole his wife.

Wycliffe Ombede,35, appeared before Chief Magistrate Wendy Kagendo where he was charged with the charge of threatening to kill Grace Terezy Malalo. In the first count he was accused that on December 22,2020 at Ngong area, he uttered words threatening to kill Malalo by saying “I will kill you today so say your last words to your mother before I kill you”.

According to the police report, the accused committed the offense when he was still a police officer to Lunga Lunga police station, Msambweni sub-county in  Kwale County while Malalo  was a student at KMTC Karen campus.

He claims he has spent over Ksh1M catering for her education at KMTC and her lifestyle since meeting her in Mombasa in 2008 when she was in Form 4 at Sacred Hearts Secondary School.

“She was from a poor family so I financed her studies in medicine,” he lamented to the publication.

He claims after her graduation, he paid Ksh150, 000 as dowry to officially marry her.

K24 claim that they reached out to the DIG for a response to the accusations labeled against him by the junior officer to know response.

Meanwhile, in a furious response, the police department has hit out at K24 over the report terming it false and malicious.

“The National Police Service has taken note of some distasteful, malicious and unprofessional reporting appearing online and attributed to some media houses linking a senior police officer to some love triangle involving a junior officer and his wife.” Police said in a statement.

“The said reporting fails to name the officer and wife involved, but goes ahead to name the senior officer, and more so, without seeking out his comment as expected. We find this reporting very malicious, ill-willed and meant to assisinate the character of the senior officer.”

The report urged the media to exercise professionalism and not be swallowed up with sensationalism. “The motivation remains unclear. Kenyans are urged to ignore the said sensational online media reporting. We also urge media to exercise professionalism in reporting that has the potentiality of character assassination.”

In April, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi moved to outlaw sexual relationships among police officers, saying the police service will no longer allow senior officers marrying their juniors.

Matiangi said where police officers choose to solemnize such marriages, the couple would have to agree on who between them quits the service.

“Police Service Standing Orders will be reviewed to bar any form of marriage among its rank. Senior police officers wishing o have affairs or marry their juniors, one of them will have to leave,” said Matiangi.

He cited indiscipline among police officers and sexual harassment directly linked to affairs.

“We as council will amend this force order to be just like that of Kenya Defence Forces which  bar officers from marrying fellow soldiers this has not only ensured discipline among file and rank but also stem sexual harassment,” said Matiangi.

He noted the interior ministry was alarmed by high numbers of female police officers complaining of sexual harassment.