Police officer opts out of vetting exercise at eleventh hour

By Cyrus Ombati

Kenya: Another senior police officer has withdrawn from the ongoing vetting exercise at the last minute.

 The Deputy Traffic Commandant James Onyango wrote to the National Police Service Commission vetting panel last Thursday informing them of his intention to withdraw from the exercise.

 He was due to appear before the panl on Friday. Onyango did not show up on Friday to participate in the third phase of the exercise. He told the commission he was scheduled to retire in June and did not see the need for him to participate in it.

 But a commissioner with the panel said Onyango risks forfeiting his benefits as his decision may be intepreted as a refusal to be vetted.

 “Many others who are to retire a month away have come forward for vetting and we cleared them. His is a complicated case now,” said a commissioner.

 Onyango becomes the 17th officer to withdraw from the exercise targeting 165 officers of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police and Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police.