12 top officers axed as NPSC releases vetting results

NPSC Chairman Johnston Kavuludi hands over a vetting participation certificate to Assistant Commissioner of Police Bunei Rono  at the CID Training School in Nairobi’s  South C during the release of the results of the police vetting, Wednesday.   [PHOTO: COLLINS KWEYU/STANDARD]

Kenya: Twelve senior police officers were Wednesday sacked after they were found unsuitable in the ongoing vetting.

Nine senior officers will be probed further.

Some 145 officers of the ranks of assistant commissioner of police and senior assistant commissioner of police were found suitable and retained.

The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) announced the results of the 166 officers vetted in March yesterday in Nairobi.

Commission chairman Johnston Kavuludi explained that those found unsuitable will have a chance to appeal their cases or move to court to challenge the decision.

He said the reasons for their dismissal included lack of discipline, integrity, violation of human rights, financial impropriety and engagement in criminal activities among them bribery, human trafficking, rape and defilement, as well as smuggling of commodities such as sugar, illicit brews and drugs.

“Some of their accusations were very serious that we had to remove them from service,” said Kavuludi.

Among those sacked is the head of investigations at the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters Samuel Nyabengi, Kajiado County police commander Tito Kilonzi, deputy director of police logistics Stephen Kemei, head of police operations at Dadaab refugee camp Roba Kalicha, David Birechi (police headquarters), Alexander Munyao (Kenya Police College) and Sharif Abdalla (Nyeri).

Others who were sent packing are Joseph Musyoki of Administration Police headquarters, Peter Muinde of CID Training School, Emanuel Kenga Karisa (Vihiga County Police), Wilfred Mbithi (operations Nairobi) and Paul Onyango (Kakamega AP).

Those whose cases will be probed further include former police spokesman Eric Kiraithe, Washington Ajuonga (Marsabit AP), Pius Barasa of inspection section, Vitalis Okumu (Interpol), David Bunei (GSU Training School), Pius Macharia (Machakos County CID), David Cheruiyot (Kisumu Police), Patrick Ndunda (CID Headquarters and Francis Kirathe (Nakuru AP).

Kavuludi said the commission will continue to receive complaints that may arise from the public and police officers against the successful ones.

He also announced that a senior officer who had been dismissed in a past vetting exercise was reinstated after his case was reviewed by an appeals panel.

Found unsuitable

Deputy Commissioner of Police at police headquarters Philip Tuimur had been sent packing in January after he was found unsuitable but appealed against the decision.

“The review of this officer was successful and I am happy to announce the decision of the commission that Tuimur will be retained in the service,” said Kavuludi.

There was anxiety at the Police Pavilion where the announcement was being made as NPSC delayed the release of the results for hours.

A police ambulance was parked outside the hall with a doctor ready to attend to anyone who would be adversely affected by the results.

The successful officers were awarded certificates and letters of appointment.

They all left as soon as they received the letters, with some dashing to toilets, cars and an open field to open them there.

Some smiled and hugged on opening the envelopes containing the letters of appointment while those negatively affected dashed to their cars and drove off.

Those successful will now be given new ranks of either assistant inspector of police or commissioner of police, which have been approved by the commission in a new ranking system.

Some 166 officers were vetted in the exercise, bringing to 196 the number of those so far probed since the exercise began.

Kavuludi said the next group to undergo the exercise will be more than 1,168 OCPDs and their deputies who will be vetted at their stations.

The commission hopes to finish with this group by the end of August before it moves to the next one, which will be that of chief inspectors and inspectors.

This development comes as a survey revealed few Kenyans are satisfied police vetting would improve efficiency within the service.

Competencies

The survey by the Usalama Reform Forum showed over 27 per cent of community members were fairly satisfied that police vetting would improve competencies within the service compared to 39 per cent of police officers interviewed.

But the commission faulted the study saying it was not a true representation of facts.

Vetting is mandatory for all officers before they are promoted to the next rank, confirmed or posted.

The vetting was meant to clean up the police, which has been listed as the most corrupt institution in Kenya by many surveys.

Vetting of police officers was among the more than 200 proposals of a commission set up following the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

The overall goal of the National Task Force on Police Reforms headed by retired judge Philip Ransley was to transform the police service into an efficient, effective, professional and accountable security agency that Kenyans could trust with their safety and security.

The need for police reforms was reinforced by recommendations made by the Waki Commission of Inquiry into the 2007 Post-election Violence. This was after police were largely blamed for the violence the broke out after the disputed polls that claimed more than 1,000 lives.