Police chiefs queried over fake officer saga

Police chiefs who worked with the mysterious man charged with impersonating a senior police officer were on Monday summoned to Nairobi over the saga.

Rift Valley Provincial Police Officer John Mbijiwe and his predecessor, now in Central Province Francis Munyambu, were required to explain the circumstances under which Mr Joshua Waiganjo operated undetected. (Read: Investigate trail of bogus officer, Kibaki orders)

They held meetings with Inspector-General David Kimaiyo and the National Police Service Commission.

The outcome of the meeting was not established, as talks went on late into the evening. This came as a team of top detectives hit the ground running yesterday to unearth the mystery of the fake police.

The detectives from the Police Headquarters in Nairobi combed the Rift Valley Provincial Police Headquarters in Nakuru, to investigate details surrounding the saga involving Mr Waiganjo.

Mr Waiganjo was arrested last week for pretending to be a senior superintendent of police but his family maintained that he was appointed to the position by former police commissioner Mathew Iteere.

The team is expected to pitch tent in the area interrogating senior and junior officers at the Rift Valley police headquarters before moving to Anti-Stock Theft Unit headquarters in Gilgil where Mr Waiganjo was also said to have been operating.

It emerged that investigations by an independent committee selected by the Office of the President did not materialize, as the team was not unveiled as promised by Head of Civil Service Francis Kimemia.

Independent Policing Oversight Authority chairman Macharia Njeru opposed the manner in which the directive was given saying Mr kimaiyo should have been asked for results instead of forming a team to investigate.

A source at the PPO’s office said the detectives perused records and interrogated some officers before moving to the Rift Valley CID offices for more details.