Police who failed scrutiny sacked

The police commission has sacked two senior officers who failed to appear before the panel for re-vetting.

The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) chairman Johnston Kavuludi wrote letters to former director of police reforms Jonathan Koskei and Mr Peter Eregae of the Office of the Inspector-General, telling them to vacate office with immediate effect.

The two, both of the rank of senior deputy commissioner of police II, were found unfit to continue serving during the vetting, but went to court through their lawyer Alloys Apell, claiming they were not prepared for the scrutiny and prayed that the process be stopped.

They also claimed that there were no regulations when they were being vetted. Consequently in May, High Court judge George Odunga ordered that they be subjected to further vetting.

After the ruling, the commission informed them to appear before it for further vetting, but they did not appear, and did not explain why.

The NPSC chairman also said that the commission had reviewed the appeals of all the 12 officers of the ranks of assistant commissioner of police and senior assistant commissioner of police.

Among them was the chief investigator at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters who was found to have registered some of his wealth in his late brother’s name.

UNDECLARED ACCOUNT

Investigators established that Mr Samuel Nyabengi, a senior assistant commissioner of police, had another account that he did not declare. The account had some amount and deposits that he could not account for, and he had also bought four houses with the NSSF in other people’s names.

According to the report compiled by the investigators, although he said he was the trustee of a fund for his late brother’s children, the beneficiaries were found to be above 18 years of age.

The panel has also reviewed the appeal of Kajiado County police commander Tito Kilonzo who was dismissed on claims of corruption and indiscipline. He was also accused of smuggling ethanol through the Namanga border.

The head of training at the Police headquarters, Mr David Birech, was accused of being involved in drugs, especially when he worked for the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU). His bank account was also found to have cash that he could not account for.

Another officer who headed operations in Nairobi County, Mr Wilfred Mbithi, was dismissed on claims that he interfered with a rape case in Nairobi in which he was the suspect.

ALTERED DOCUMENTS

Vihiga CID chief Emmanuel Kenga was accused of having fraudulently altered documents of examination reports while at the DCI headquarters, amid other bribery allegations.

The commandant of the CID Training school, Mr Peter Muinde, was accused of bribery during investigations into the Harambee Sacco scandal. The officer-in-charge of operations in Nyeri, Mr Shariff Abdalla, was accused of misappropriating funds meant for fuelling police vehicles when he was in charge of the Dadaab Camp. He was instead getting fuel from the UNHCR.

Other sacked officers are Mr Joseph Musau Musyoki of AP headquarters, Mr Alexander Munyao, the deputy commandant Police Staff College Loresho, Dadaab OCPD Kalicha Roba, and Mr Paul Onyango (Kakamega AP).

The vetting is conducted according to the provisions of the Constitution Article 246 and National Police Service Act (2011), which stipulate that members of the National Police Service be vetted to assess suitability and competence.