Constable ordered to account for Sh5 million in bank accounts

A police officer was on Tuesday ordered to account for Sh5 million in her bank accounts.

The police vetting panel told Constable Susan Wangari Kamau who is stationed at the Kisumu traffic department to explain her source of money since her monthly salary was only Sh20,000.

She explained that she runs three bank accounts, two at the Kenya commercial Bank, one of which her husband is a signatory and another at Equity Bank where she draws her salary.

She said she runs a clothes business, owns rental houses from which she earns Sh20,000 every month and is also a farmer.

“I never knew we were to declare the total amount of money transacted through the mobile phone. I do not have a book of records for my clothes business,” said Mrs Kamau, adding that she had borrowed Sh350,000 to buy land in Naivasha and Nakuru.

Asked to explain the source of Sh140,000 that she had received through her mobile phone, Mrs Kamau explained that she belonged to an investment group run by her colleagues.

“Your salary is Sh20,000, how do you manage to pay Sh10,000 every week to your investment group because in a month you pay more than you earn?” asked the National Police Service Commission chairman Johnstone Kavuludi.

CORE POLICE DUTIES

Mrs Kamau said it was easy for her to do so because of her other businesses. Mr Kavuludi asked the officer to explain how she concentrates on her core police duties given her other businesses but she said she had hired workers to run them.

At the same time, a traffic police officer who is also a secular musician was asked to explain how she made Sh100,000 in a year.

Constable John Njagi Kabuga said he was a singer and had made the money through music royalties.

Appearing before Commissioner Mary Owuor during the vetting at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, Mr Kabuga said he had done many songs for which he receives up to Sh100,000 every year.

Mrs Owuor asked him to explain how he made money in an industry rocked by copyright problems and numerous complaints by musicians over failure to pay royalties.

“It is true there is an outcry but apart from royalties, I also perform live shows where I am paid sometimes Sh50,000 or Sh30,000,” said Mr Kabuga.

The commissioner questioned why he had not joined the National Police Service bands but he claimed he had tried and failed. The session was treated to a light moment when Mr Kabuga sang a song about marriage vows at the request of Mr Kavuludi, attracting a huge round of applause.

“You have a strong voice and you should consider joining one of the bands,” said Mrs Owuor.