Team formed to probe Waiganjo saga

By Cyrus Ombati

Nairobi, KENYA: A committee established to investigate the activities of police imposter Joshua Waiganjo was launched Tuesday and asked to hand in its report by January 31.

The team will have sittings in Nakuru and Nairobi to collect views from the public and police over the saga.

National Police Service Commission chairman Johnston Kavuludi launched the team and announced the findings will be made public and action taken on the recommendations therein.

“The committee will establish whether he harassed, intimidated, humiliated and took any disciplinary action against any serving police officer,” said Kavuludi.

The team will be chaired by commissioner Mary Owuor, while lawyer Kioko Kilokumi representing the Law Society of Kenya will be the vice chair.

Other members include Dr Shadrack Muiu of police commission, Gideon Kimilu of police, George Mukabi representing Public Service Commission, Edna Nyaloti of Kenya National Commission of Human Rights and Emanuel Mbita of Attorney General’s office.

The team will sit in Nakuru Municipal Hall between January 21 and 23 and in Nairobi at KICC between January 24 and 25.

Those willing to give information on the issue can do so in writing before January 20 while those who want to swear affidavits have until January 26, Kavuludi said.

Waiganjo is facing various criminal charges including robbery with violence and impersonation and will appear in Nairobi court on January 28.

The team’s terms of reference include establishing if Waiganjo was a police officer or Kenya Police Reservist for what duration and who recruited him, circumstances under which he operated as an officer and who gave him orders and instructions and his associates.

The group will also establish what equipment were issued to Waiganjo, how they were used and how he accessed police facilities and premises and find out how he was included in the security mission to Baragoi.

Kavuludi said the team will know to what extent that Waiganjo was privy to confidential information, did his involvement compromise security operation in Baragoi in particular and generally other serious crimes in the country.

The team will also establish whether there are other persons impersonating police officers with the assistance of serving ones.

The team will make appropriate recommendations on conclusion of their mission.

Rift Valley PPO John M’Mbijiwe, the commandant of Anti-Stock Theft Unit Michael Rimi Ngugi and Njoro OCPD Peter Njeru Nthiga were interdicted to pave way for investigations into the issue.

The commission said the incident in which Waiganjo has been impersonating as a senior police officer for more than ten years has exposed serious lapse that has outraged the nation.

Kavuludi added the commission has ordered a thorough audit of the composition of all police officers in the country and a report will be made public in 30 days.

“The audit will confirm the number of police officers in the service, their qualifications, their placements, ranks and regional, ethnic and gender composition,” he said.

Waiganjo is alleged to have sacked and abused junior officers, and even attended top security meetings on various occasions over period of five years he easily passed off as a top policeman.

He also donned police uniform, complete with insignia showing he was a senior assistant commissioner of police.

M’Mbijiwe, who was named by the suspect’s father Ibrahim Waiganjo as his son’s close friend said he deserved a recommendation for arresting the imposter.

He said Mr Waiganjo accompanied senior police officers to Baragoi within “the structures of his supplementary role as a police reservist.

Meanwhile, a Nyeri court ordered on Tuesday that Waiganjo be remanded without an option of fine after jumping bail in 2010.