House team casts doubts on police ability to use CCTV cameras in war on crime

A parliamentary committee that oversees the security agencies has questioned the capability of the police to use the security surveillance cameras mounted around the capital city.

Members of the National Assembly’s Administration and National Security Committee on Monday said the police’s reaction to the murder of Kabete MP George Muchai, his two bodyguards and his driver was lethargic.

At the same time, the committee directed Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Nkaissery and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to arrest the suspects within the next 72 hours.

Committee chairman Asman Kamama said the command centre at Jogoo House, where the closed circuit television cameras are monitored from, should have been used to identify and locate the vehicle used by the killers.

“A lot should have happened by now, 72 hours after the killings. We need to confirm whether the CCTV is working. We expect those manning the command centres to have informed police to block all roads out of the city after that incident,” said Mr Kamama at a press conference at Parliament.

TRACK KILLERS

He said the reaction in Kenya should have been like that in Paris, France, after the shooting dead of staff at the newspaper Charlie Hebdo, where the police used CCTV images to track the killers.

“We expected this to have happened. We’re also suspicious that a lot is not happening at this command centre,” said Mr Kamama.

He said given that there are police officers stationed at Nyayo House, at the General Post Office and at Kipande House, near where Mr Muchai and the three men were shot dead, they should at least have tried to stop the killers.

Police are reported to have arrived at Mr Muchai’s vehicle seven minutes after he was shot.

Some members of the committee accompanied President Uhuru Kenyatta when he launched the command centre at Jogoo House on December 10.

It was set up at a cost of Sh437 million, with 80 screens and more than 51 cameras.

“I have been there,” said vice-chairman Alois Lentoimaga.

PARALLEL SYSTEM

“Had they used it, they would have seen the car anywhere within Nairobi.”

Mr Kamama said they had seen a demonstration of how the system works but they were also interested in seeing how the parallel system set up by the Nairobi City County government works.

Nyandarua Woman Representative Wanjiku Muhia said the Interior ministry and Safaricom, which are setting up the system, should show value for the money invested in it.

Wajir North MP Ibrahim Saney disagreed with his colleagues, saying he was pessimistic the police would bring Mr Muchai’s killers to book.

“This man had given an early warning earlier. He had recorded statements and had been given an extra bodyguard,” said Mr Saney as he urged the government to ensure the security of all Kenyans.