PCs, police chiefs moved in major security shake-up

Coast PC Ernest Munyi has been moved to North Eastern as the government overhauled the top security command in the region in a move aimed at securing it from terror attacks. Mr Munyi replaces Mr James ole Serian who was moved to Western Province.

Mr Samuel Kilele, formerly of Western, becomes the new PC at the Coast.

The shake-up, which also involved top police officers in Northeastern, was aimed at countering the threat posed by the Somali militant group, Al-Shabaab.

A new provincial police chief and an additional 700 security agents were deployed in the region which shares a long border with Somalia where Kenyan troops have been battling Al-Shabaab since last October. The changes come following a string of terror attacks in the region since late last year.

The twin attacks on churches in Garissa town last Sunday in which 17 people were killed, were the bloodiest.

Mr Philip Tuimur, is the new Provincial Police Officer.

The PPO and PC sit at the top of the Provincial Security and Intelligence Committee which meets weekly to analyse security threats and develop plans to counter them.

Defence minister Yusuf Haji, who announced the overhaul, also spelt out new security measures that include mandatory registration of transport operators and keeping records of people who check in at hotels.

“We shall register all taxis and bodaboda operators in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera so that we know who the owners are and where they are stationed. All persons checking in hotels, big or small, will be required to register themselves by producing an ID card or passport,” he said.

Mr Haji, who is also in charge of Internal Security docket in an acting capacity added: “The persons shall also be required to state their residence, where they come from and for how long they are going to stay in the hotels. Those who fail to do so shall be arrested and arraigned in court.”

The registers, to be kept by all premises owners would be inspected regularly by the police.

Within the police, Mr Tuimur’s lieutenants include Mr Noor Gabow who is an expert in conflict resolution and Mr David Bunei an officer who has paramilitary background in the General Service Unit.

Mr Gabow, who has served at the United Nations and at operations sections in police headquarters, becomes deputy PPO while Mr Bunei was promoted from Lang’ata police commander (OCPD) to an assistant commissioner and deployed in the operations section.

Mr Vitalis Okumu was also appointed to oversee the CID in the region.

Mr Tuimur was formerly in charge of Kenya Airports Police Unit stationed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

The coordination of the core police duties in Kenya was also strengthened with Mr Njue Njagi being appointed the director of operations at Vigilance House. This position has been vacant since last year.

His counterpart at CID headquarters will be Mr Francis Njiru. The two are remembered for their crackdown on the Mungiki criminal gang in 2007.

Mr Haji further directed that 300 additional officers be posted at the Somalia-Kenya border, an equal number deployed to the stations and 100 reservists be armed to help them.

“We shall provide very strong security to all churches on Sundays and any other day whenever they are conducting prayers,” the minister added.

The changes also affected the traffic department, President Kibaki’s security detail, the anti-narcotics unit and the CID.

Mr Francis Mwangi was appointed the Presidential Escort Unit commandant.

He was until Thursday in the elite Recce Company of the GSU.

In police operations, Mr Njagi is to be deputised by Mr Philip Ndolo, who was until Thursday the second in command at North Eastern province.

The Garissa police commander (OCPD) Felix Munyambu was recalled to police headquarters and replaced by Mr George Losku Ali who was in charge at Bomet.

Garissa County Commissioner Moffat Kangi was moved to Kitui and replaced by Mr Maalim Mohammed.

Traffic Commandant Joseph ole Tito was replaced by Mr Ben Kibi.

Mr Tito was posted to Western province as the PPO.

In the CID, a former head of anti-terrorism police unit (ATPU) Nicholas Kamwende was appointed to head CID’s Nairobi command as the Provincial Criminal Investigations Officer (PCIO).

Mr Kamwende left the ATPU last year for further studies at the National Defence College in Karen, Nairobi.

Mr Gideon Kimilu was named deputy director of CID, a position that had been vacant.

Mr Kimilu was the commandant, CID training school in South C, Nairobi and was replaced by Mr Peter Muinde who was until yesterday in charge of the city’s CID command.

Dr Hamisi Massa took charge at the anti-narcotics unit.

Other officers affected are Mr John Maritim who was PCIO North Eastern who moves to Western in the same capacity after Mr Samuel Nyabengi was posted to the Rift Valley.

Ms Jacinta Kinyua, was removed from deputy PPO at the Coast and posted to personnel section at CID headquarters while Mr. Zakayo Tum was appointed deputy police chief in Central province.

Her position was taken by Mr Robert Kitur who was at operations section in Central province.

And the US has praised the “quick and vigilant action” of the Kenyan authorities who last month arrested two Iranians suspected of terrorist activities.

The arrests “potentially prevented a terrible tragedy which could have taken numerous lives,” State Department spokeswoman Hilary Fuller Renner told the Nation.

The US will help Kenya with any counter-terrorism investigation, Ms Renner said.

She added that “we do know Iran — principally through [its Revolutionary Guards’] Quds Force and its proxies and surrogates — continues to pursue destabilising activities in various places across the globe.”

The United States will “continue working with our partners and allies to counter and disrupt Iranian efforts to sponsor acts of terror — acts that will simply not be tolerated by the international community,” the spokeswoman said.

The strong US endorsement of Kenya’s action regarding the Iranian suspects comes at a time Washington may be contemplating sanctions against Kenya for agreeing to import oil from Iran.

Ms Renner declined on Tuesday to say whether the US intends to punish Kenya in accordance with tough new American moves to block Iran’s access to world oil markets.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has reiterated that last Sunday’s attack on two churches in Garissa did not amount to a religious war contrary to reports in sections of an international media.

Mr. Musyoka made the remarks today at a meeting with the incoming British High Commissioner, Dr. Christian Turner, who paid him a courtesy call at his Jogoo House Office.

“We must win this war against terrorism, we cannot afford to lose to terrorists,” the Vice President said.

Mr. Musyoka commended Muslim and Christian clerics for condemning the attacks and urged Kenyans to be extra vigilant for suspicious elements in their midst.

On Thursday, Muslim university students condemned the Garissa terror attack calling it cowardly and barbaric.