Police explain how they make millions of shillings
What you need to know:
Only a few officers explain what they are doing to end road accidents.
- During vetting, it emerges that Thomas Oseko, Naivasha's Deputy Traffic Base Commander, is running several businesses.
Traffic police officers are some of the wealthiest public servants in the country, banking millions of shillings every month.
In testimonies before the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) team vetting them, junior officers explained how they were making millions of shillings from farming, rental income, sand harvesting, charcoal business and other ventures.
If what they said was true, it puts the Police Training College, Kiganjo, at par with the some of the world’s top business schools in producing entrepreneurs of note.
And in an indictment of the department, only a few officers explained what they were doing to end road accidents.
During the vetting, led by NPSC chairman Johnston Kavuludi, it emerged that Naivasha Deputy Traffic Base Commander Thomas Oseko was running several businesses.
It was revealed that Inspector Oseko was dealing in charcoal business, sand harvesting and commercial farming, among other ventures.
The officer said he made up to Sh2 million a month from his “side hustles”.
“From charcoal, I can generate about Sh600,000 a month. I also deal in sand harvesting from Suswa in Narok County,” he told the panel.
POLICE OFFICER
The panel was left wondering why Mr Oseko, who earns Sh45,000 a month, was still serving as a police officer.
“Why do you continue serving in the service when you can make good money out there?” posed one of the panellists, to which the officer responded by saying he loved his job “because it has been the source of capital for my businesses”.
His account was probably the most shocking to the panel since the vetting targeting 330 officers began on Monday.
Mr Moses Lemonyog, a corporal attached to the Kericho Traffic Base, disclosed to the vetting panel that he earns up to Sh450,000 per term from a private school he owns in Maralal Town, Samburu County.
The officer said his wife managed the school, which runs from nursery to Standard Eight.
“I started the school in 2012 and it now has more than 120 pupils. I have also employed 10 teachers,” Mr Lemonyog said.
Mr Mohamed Ali Mohamed, also a corporal, told the vetting panel how he earned Sh300,000 per month from livestock farming.
“I own 1,000 goats, 200 cows and 100 camels from which I earn about Sh300,000 per month,” Mr Ali said.
Sergeant David Kioko Muteti attached to Salgaa Traffic Base said he owned a bar in Kangundo, from which he generated about Sh160,000 every month.
The revelations painted a picture of officers in big business.
