In a bizarre twist, Collins Chepkulei Leitich, alias ‘General,’ has denied reports of his arrest despite being at the center of controversy over an unauthorised police base at Cherus Shopping Centre in Kesses, Uasin Gishu County.
Speaking exclusively to The Standard, Chepkulei, who has gained attention on social media, defended his decision, saying he initiated the project to address rising insecurity in the area.
“I decided to paint the place with the help of the community because of the insecurity we are facing,” he said.
He claimed that local leaders and senior police officers were aware of the plan, alleging that the site was never intended to be a full-fledged police station but rather a designated patrol point.
Standing tall with a confident demeanor, Chepkulei recounted how crime—including burglaries and livestock theft—had plagued the community, prompting him to act. He insisted that he engaged local authorities and that some administrative officials even attended planning meetings.
Chepkulei further claimed to personally finance the station, adding that the community took it upon themselves to build a police post to combat rising crime.
“Those saying there is a mistake… we are trying to correct it and make it legal. If we have wronged the government, we apologise,” he said.
“There is always a procedure. I cannot say whether I was wrong or not, but before you do something, there are always steps to follow. Maybe some steps were incomplete, but we had made some,” he added.
Chepkulei insisted that he was simply a well-wisher helping a community struggling with criminal activities.
When asked about widely circulated social media videos showing him with police escorts and living a lavish lifestyle, he responded, “No one is rich. Even the president is still looking for money. This is my private life.”
He added, “I will keep paying rent for the station as long as it exists, until CDF builds another one. I am a businessman, and when you are in business, you have to be close to people in government.”
Since the controversy became public, Chepkulei said his life has been chaotic.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating how a civilian was able to establish a police patrol base without following due procedure.
National Police Service spokesperson Michael Muchiri confirmed that while there were official plans to set up a police post in the area; the controversial political activist did not follow the correct legal process.
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“The problem may be the procedural way of establishing it, but we are working closely with authorities to ensure it is opened legally,” said Chepkulei.
