I’m not the King’ori in real estate business

A senior police officer has pleaded with the vetting panel not to retire officers from the police service, saying such an action could kill some of them.

Administration Police AP Senior Staff College Commandant Eusebius Laibuta told the Johnstone Kavuludi-led panel that retiring him from the service before he completes his “few remaining years” could kill him.

“I personally appeal to you not to spell doom on us by taking away our jobs, because if you do so, you may find some of us on the obituary pages of newspapers,” Mr Laibuta told the panel as the vetting of 23 deputy police commissioners came to a close on Saturday.

“Kindly consider the length of our service to this nation before you spell doom on our careers. We may have erred here and there, but please forgive us,” he pleaded.

Mr Laibuta, who was the last to be vetted during the second phase of the exercise, was at pains to explain the source of his income other than his salary. For instance, he could not explain clearly the source of a Sh3 million annual income listed as coming from miscellaneous and rental payments.

He also vaguely explained huge deposits made to his account on November 30, 2012, before making the desperate plea, most likely after feeling he would not make the cut.

Earlier, former Coast police boss King’ori Mwangi was taken to task to explain allegations that he assisted drug barons to operate unhindered in the area.

Mr King’ori also faced allegations linking him to the murder of former GSU officer Erastus Chemurei and the Sh6 billion cocaine haul conspiracy in which Mr Chemurei was killed in broad daylight.

He was further asked to clarify what he knew about the extra-judicial killing of two administration police officers at the Coast who were said to be leading investigations on the drug haul in Mombasa.

Mr King’ori, who is currently based at police headquarters in Nairobi as the deputy director of police reforms, was also at pains to explain allegations that he owns numerous rental houses, passenger service vehicles and several other properties in Nyeri, Mombasa and Nairobi.

But a seemingly relaxed Mr King’ori tackled the questions with uncommon calm, even as he dismissed some of the claims as a witch-hunt.

“I do not own any rental building in Zimmerman, and if some people think they are my tenants then they can stop paying rent,” he answered to allegations that he owns a huge plot in the Nairobi estate.

“There are many other people called King’ori, and I don’t understand why people always associate me with properties registered under their names,” he said.

Panelists Joseph Kaguthi, Samuel Arachi and Dr Francis Sang had asked the officer to explain accusations that most police officers at the Coast were on the payroll of drug lords and that they presided over gross human rights violations including extra-judicial killings during his tenure.

Mr Kaguthi wanted him to explain what was happening and the measures he took to deal with the situation.

“Let it be on record that the killing of the two officers took place after I had been transferred to Western. I was not the PPO at that time,” he said.

But he told of an incident in 2008 when a Land Cruiser was impounded near Nyali with bhang and the suspect arrested.

He blamed the anti-narcotics officers who he said did not hand over the suspect to the CID.

“The vehicle was also not handed over to us, and when I reported the matter to the PC Ernest Munyi, he told me that he was not interested in the person arrested but rather the owner of the vehicle,” he said.

Mr King’ori criticised the anti-narcotics officers, saying they do not properly understand their work.

“The anti-narcotics unit is now a pale shadow of its former self. Its officers are not properly trained,” he told the panel.

He distanced himself from allegations linking him to the Sh6.5 billion cocaine haul and dismissed them as a pure witch- hunt.

“The investigations were done exclusively by the GSU and CID officers. I did not participate in it, and all these reports linking me to the same are only meant to tarnish my name,” he said.

But he admitted the drug menace remains a national challenge.

“We must all be honest with ourselves and stop apportioning blame and malicious innuendoes on police officers.”

On extra-judicial killings, Mr King’ori told the panel that action was taken against officers who were said to have executed innocent civilians during his term. (READ: Police bosses were given roles ‘casually’)