Police vetting for senior police officers in Nyanza started Friday amid concerns raised by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday that the process is slow and creating anxiety among police officers.
Uhuru, in his state of the nation address, asked Parliament to come up with a more effective way of screening police officers which does not also demoralise them.
However, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) started a six day vetting process for 108 senior police officers in the region at Kisumu’s Tom Mboya Labour College.
NPSC chairman Johnstone Kavuludi said all senior police officers serving in the region up to March 2014 will be vetted.
“We are vetting the officers to ensure only suitable ones are left to serve,” he said.
The screened officers, according to Kavuludi, have three months to know their fate.
“Competence and suitability of an officer shall be determined based on the officer’s work record, professionalism, conduct and performance in the present and past,” he added as he invited members of the public to present their views during the vetting.
Friday, former Kisumu County Police Commandant David Ngetich, currently serving at the Kenya Airports Police Unit was taken to task by the vetting board over a ram he was given as a gift by a farmer in Meru when he was serving as Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD).
Ngetich was questioned why he did not declare the gift to his seniors in writing.
Laikipia deputy County Commander Elisha Cherono surprised the vetting board when it emerged that he could not speak English with ease. It forced the vetting panel to allow him use Kiswahili.
As the process continues, allegations of police involvement in crime, unresolved murder cases and protection of organised gangs in the area are likely to feature prominently.
The police are also likely to be required to respond to allegations of senior policemen protecting their juniors involved in crime.
Police officers who have served at the traffic department might be put to task over bribery claims in the highways and why there are many police officers manning roadblocks in the area.
Kisumu Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga raised the concern to NPSC boss when he paid a courtesy call to her office on Thursday, saying the police officers had failed to end traffic related crimes in the area.
“Why do we have so many road blocks and a heavy presence of traffic policemen manning the highways and yet we don’t see traffic offenders being charged in court?” posed Ruth.
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She also raised concern over over “deteriorating” security at the lakeside city.
“As we aim to be a 24 hour economy, we have not even attained the 12-hour economy status because businesses open at 9 am and close by 5pm due to insecurity,” she lamented.
“We have put necessary strategies in place to ensure the city is safe,” said Nyanza regional police co-ordinator Willy Lugusa.
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