Officer thrown out of vetting over academic certificates

What you need to know:

  • Corporal Mohamed Barisa Awadh had appeared for vetting for the day six of the exercise led by National Police Service Commission chairperson Johnston Kavuludi at Kunste Hotel in Nakuru.
  • Corporal Barisa said he studied in Tana River but has never acquired any certificate for both primary and secondary school levels.

A police officer based in Kitale was on Monday thrown out of a vetting session in Nakuru after he failed to present valid academic certificates.

Corporal Mohamed Barisa Awadh had appeared for vetting for the day six of the exercise led by National Police Service Commission chairperson Johnston Kavuludi at Kunste Hotel in Nakuru.

Mr Barisa was given 21 days to submit the documents.

Mr Kavuludi who is chairing the vetting panel said it would not probe him until he produces the documents.

Corporal Barisa said he studied in Tana River but has never acquired any certificate for both primary and secondary school levels.

The officer told the panel that he could not access his former primary school to get his academic papers as it no longer exists.

Mr Kavuludi has, however, threatened the officer with sacking should he fail to produce the papers within the time given. He said it is only then that the commission can prove that the officer went to school.

The NPSC chairman said the commission would be forced to write to the Inspector General of Police to remove him from the payroll.

"Failure to submit the documents, we shall advise the Inspector General to remove you from the payroll as we don't have proof that you really went to school," said Mr Kavuludi.

During the exercise, a police officer surprised the panel by a book he authored detailing the lives of officers.

The book titled ‘The Paradox of love’, by Corporal Dennis Ouko Ntabo impressed the panel with Mr Kavuludi leading the panel into ‘reviewing’ it.

(READ: Police vetting turns into ‘book review’)

“This is clear testimony that even within the police service, the officers’ tight schedule notwithstanding, one can get time to render services by writing such an inspiring book,” said Mr Kavuludi.