Top officer points finger at boss

Senior Superintendent of Police Augustus Mutia during the vetting of police officers for the North Rift Region in Eldoret on March 19, 2015. National Police Service Commission, Chairman, Johnstone Kavuludi chaired the panel. JARED NYATAYA |

What you need to know:

  • It is at this point that Mr Mutia made the startling confession. “Sir, you are aware that some instructions from seniors should not be questioned. To continue fending for my children, I opted not to ask questions,” he said.
  • The county cops’ boss was also asked to explain why six officers seconded to the University of Eldoret were still being paid by the government.
  • The officers are said to have been receiving double salaries for the past five months.

A senior superintendent of police Thursday spilled the beans before a vetting team, saying he was only obeying orders so as to fend for his family.

Uasin Gishu Administration Police Commander Augustus Mutia had been asked to shed light on his finances and why police were guarding a petrol station.

“The then area District Commissioner gave the orders and told me the officers’ allowance would be banked in my account and I would pay them Sh700 each a day,” he said.

Explaining why big cheques were deposited in his account, Mr Mutia said the money was for junior officers guarding government installations when he served as Rachuonyo North commandant in 2011.

He also said his wife runs a stationery business whose payments are sometimes made through his account.

National Police Service Commission chairman Johnston Kavuludi produced statements that showed the transactions did not indicate the amounts paid and beneficiaries’ ID numbers.

It is at this point that Mr Mutia made the startling confession. “Sir, you are aware that some instructions from seniors should not be questioned. To continue fending for my children, I opted not to ask questions,” he said.

The commission quizzed the officer on Tuesday but recalled him for a second day of vetting after he failed to give satisfactory answers to some queries.

The commission also wanted to know why officers were guarding a Hass petrol station in Eldoret. The station reportedly pays Sh24,000 a month for the service.

Mr Mutia told the commission that Eldoret West Sub-County Commander Bernard Mburu had said the officers were not stationed at the service station but were on patrol. “He said the owners had requested security against robbers.”

This answer failed to satisfy the panel.

DOUBLE SALARIES

The county cops’ boss was also asked to explain why six officers seconded to the University of Eldoret were still being paid by the government.

Mr Kavuludi said a payslip for a seconded officer showed payments of Sh23,000 and Sh80,000 from the university.

The officers are said to have been receiving double salaries for the past five months.

The panel also established that four officers, not six, had been seconded as the vice chancellor had requested.

Mr Fredrick Mwei, a senior officer representing the Inspector-General of Police, asked Mr Mutia to calm down since “you are only being asked to clarify issues”.

Mr Mwei pointed out that the letter from the vice chancellor indicated that the officers would be paid by their new employer for the five-year contract.
Mr Mutia said he was not aware that his juniors were getting double pay.

Also vetted was Turkana AP Commander John Kimaiyo Kemboi, who urged the commission to provide police in the area with modern weapons to end cattle rustling.

He said the poor raod network complicated response, stressing the government had given them adequate cars.

Mr Samuel Kaimenyi, current OCPD of Kipkelion was among officers who were vetted. He said he uses a number of experiences he aquired when he had gone for Kosovo peacekeeping to better services in all levels he has served.

Mr Kaimenyi, who rose from superintendent to senior superintendent, convinced the panel that he recovered 25 guns and several bullets in Tana River clashes when he served as a deputy OCPD.

He has a number of commendations from the areas he previously worked.