Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko appoints 5 prosecutors to investigate Garissa attack

Nairobi, Kenya - Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko has appointed five prosecutors to assist in investigation into Garissa University College terror attack.

This follows Tuesday’s request by the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery that the DPP sends a team to help in the probe.

Nine top security commanders of Garissa County have been interdicted over the attack and may be prosecuted over various charges once investigations into their conduct ahead of the attack prove there was negligence.

“I am convinced of the need for thorough investigations into the terrorist attack on the Garissa University College to establish possible criminal culpability of individual officers or relevant security committees,” said Nkaissery.

Those suspended include the regional coordinator Ernest Mwinyi, County Commissioner Njenga Miiri, the County AP commander Christopher Muthee, CID boss Musa Yego, police county commander Charles Wambugu and the sub county AP commander John Cheruiyot.

Others include the local head of Anti-Terror Police Unit Mutuku Kimanzi, OCPD Benjamin Ongombe and Deputy OCS Charles Ayoro.

Nkaissery said Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet would appoint an investigating team that will work with DPP to carry out investigations and take necessary steps as soon as possible.

The CS took the action after two teams he and Boinnet had appointed presented their reports on the attack.

The teams wanted to establish why the attack took place despite the fact that security officials there had been alerted.

The team noted there was rampant corruption and smuggling of refugees in the area, which affects security.

The team noted that a day before the attack, only four police officers had been deployed to guard the Garrissa University.

The County Intelligence and Security Committee (CISC) had received information that the college was among the areas that the Al-Shabaab were planning to attack.

The CISC had recommended that eight police officers be deployed to the areas named as terrorist targets but this did not happen due to the shortage of police officers.

Some 148 people including 142 students were killed in the attack that was staged by four terrorists on April 2.