Police impostor posed as Tana Delta ‘boss’, probe team told

By KARANJA NJOROGE

Nairobi, Kenya: Police impostor Joshua Waiganjo enjoyed a cozy relationship with suspended Anti-Stock Theft Unit (Astu) Commandant Remmy Ngugi even as it emerged he also posed as Tana Delta OCPD.

The committee investigating his conduct heard how the fake cop usually visited the Gilgil based headquarters and enjoyed favours courtesy of Ngugi

The revelations emerged as another police officer linked the police impostor to criminal activities including theft of cattle in Subukia while posing as OCPD Tana Delta.

Corporal Joel Mopel, a driver to the interdicted Astu commandant, said Ngugi would authorise Government vehicles to take Waiganjo to Nakuru for various missions. The witness said Waiganjo would go to the Astu headquarters to greet the commandant, who he described as a friend.

He said at one time he was directed to take Waiganjo to a Nakuru medical facility for treatment and later drove him back to his home at Syndicate estate in Gilgil.

“One time I was told by my boss to go and pick Waiganjo and take him to the Provincial Police Officer’s Nakuru office. When I went to collect him at his house I found him in full Assistant Commissioner of Police Uniform and when he entered the vehicle he remarked: ‘Unaona mimi ni mkubwa wa polisi’ (As you can see I’m a police boss),” the witness said.

He said on various occasions Waiganjo would be found at the Astu officers mess where they would be entertained with Ngugi.

Waiganjo also sought medical treatment at the institution where a clinical officer was directed to follow up his medical condition and assist him administer drugs for an undisclosed ailment. 

A clinical officer at the unit charged with prevention and recovery of stolen livestock, Zaccheus Kotut, who also testified, said Ngugi introduced him to Waiganjo and told him that he needed medication.  

“After the results from samples taken from him were out, I referred him to a senior doctor in Nakuru and three days later he came back for a check-up after he had seen the doctor,” Kotut said.

Another witness, Chief Inspector Julius Kyalo Kalinda, said Waiganjo posed as the Tana Delta OCPD and demanded two lorries arrested for suspected criminal activities be released. The two lorries were suspected to be on a mission to steal cows from a farm owned by a former senior provincial administrator in Subukia when they were impounded.

Kalinda said while he was working as the OCS at Kirengero, Subukia, he received a report from members of the public that the OCPD Tana Delta was within. He said the members of the public had decided to alert police owing to the suspicious manner the alleged Tana Delta OCPD was behaving.

 “I mobilised seven officers and we proceeded to Kabazi where he was said to be lodging and cordoned off the area, but we did not find him as he had fled leaving his vehicle behind,” he said.

The officer said upon enquiring from locals he learnt that Waiganjo had been drinking with some Administration Police officers in the area and had spent three days there.

He said on circulating the details on the Toyota vehicle, Police from Kisumu called saying it was from a car hire firm in the town, but had been missing for three days. He further said a few days later he was informed that two lorries suspected to be on botched cattle theft mission had been abandoned in the area.

“Waiganjo later called me and insisted that the vehicles belonged to him and demanded they be released,” he added.

He said the police impostor claimed that he was the OCPD Tana Delta but the officer doubted the assertion, as he knew the OCPD of that region.

“I asked him why he was claiming to be the Tana Delta OCPD yet I knew the then OCPD, a Mr Kavoo, but he insisted that I should release the vehicles,” the committee heard.

He said Waiganjo did not appear at the police station to claim the vehicles but warned him of dire consequences for failing to heed the ‘directive’.