Saitoti quizzes police probe team

Proposal for a shakeup in Kenya's police force came under scrutiny on Thursday.

A day after presenting its interim report to President Kibaki, the team of experts spearheading reforms in the force was on Thursday summoned by Internal Security minister George Saitoti to discuss their proposals.

Among the team’s recommendations was an overhaul of the top ranks of the police force, which would see Maj-Gen Ali removed after almost six years at the helm.

The minister wanted to know why the taskforce’s proposals had to be implemented immediately yet it had not presented its final report, due after September 30.

Visible change

Head of the team, retired judge Philip Ransley, confirmed that the meeting discussed “implementation of some of the ideas” with the minister seeking “clarifications on certain things in the report.”

The taskforce says without visible change in the force’s leadership, it would be difficult to convince the public of the government’s commitment to implement reforms.

The meeting was called amid disclosure that some members of the taskforce had declined to sign the report because they were unhappy with some of its proposals.

The report, seen by the Nation had no signatures against the names of permanent secretaries Amina Mohamed (Justice), Joseph Kinyua (Finance) and Francis Kimemia (Internal Security).

They were appointed to the taskforce together with Attorney General Amos Wako, whose name however was not in the report.

Mr Justice Ransley said the AG’s name was erroneously omitted by the printer. He said he did not know why the others did not sign the document.

Sources, who could not be named because they are not authorised to comment on high level government matters, said some members felt that the proposal to remove top officers and vet them afresh was aimed at weeding out particular individuals.

If adopted, officers of the rank of assistant commissioner of police and assistant commandant of the administration police, and above, would be removed and interviewed afresh by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Security Intelligence Service.

“Only then will it be possible to effect a turn-around in the public trust and confidence in the public trust and confidence in the police,” says the report.

It wants those removed replaced with people with “proven leadership, managerial skills, high moral integrity and ability to spearhead reform.”

Nearly 250 officers from the regular and administration police would be affected.

Another proposal to suspend hiring and transfers was also raised at the meeting and the taskforce had a difficult time explaining how this could be done.

After the meeting with Prof Saitoti, Mr Justice Ransley told the Nation that he was hopeful the government would implement the recommendations and that “something concrete would happen.”

Prof Saitoti is also said to have queried the rationale of implementing the interim report before the final one was presented.

But the taskforce said the final report would address pending tasks and would not take a different direction already addressed in the interim one.

Proposed merger

After receiving the report President Kibaki said: “Welfare of police officers would continue to be a priority, especially in housing and renumeration. We want the reforms to also lead in better relations between the police and the public to ensure that security is enhanced in all corners of the country. “We also want the Police Force to be transformed into a Police Service that serves wananchi.”

The report fails to give direction on the proposal to merge the regular and Administration Police.