302 traffic police officers sacked for evading vetting

The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has sacked 302 traffic police officers who declined to be vetted.

The commission instructed Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet to dispatch the officers’ sacking letters to have them surrender arms and other police equipment assigned to them.

Commission Chairman Johnston Kavuludi yesterday announced the removal of the officers from service, saying the action was taken after a comprehensive consultative meeting held on Tuesday between NPSC and other players.

Dr Kavuludi, who is leading the vetting of officers in Nyanza and Western regions, said the officers who failed to present themselves for vetting had automatically failed the process, according to the law and were not fit to remain in the service

“The law requires that all officers be vetted to ascertain their suitability to serve. Our regulations further indicate that an officer who willfully fails, refuses or ignores to submit to vetting shall be removed from service on the account of failing the vetting. Henceforth the officers are no longer in the service,” said Kavuludi.

Even though the names of the officers were not made public, the commission chairman indicated that most of the officers had known their fate, and had resorted to unethical conducts knowing that they would soon be sacked.

“We have information to the effect that a good number of officers who have been removed from the service have now resorted to putting up illegal road blocks and harassing motorists.  We are working on having them receive their dismissal letters as quick as possible to enable the reassignment of the equipment to other officers,” Kavuludi said.

He added that the officers can appeal against the decision, adding that vetting was not a vendetta, but a process guided by law and regulations.

 Chief Inspectors

NPSC is in Kisumu for the second phase of vetting which started yesterday and will run till June 19, where 201 officers in Nyanza and 174 others in Western from the rank of chief inspectors to constable are set to be vetted.

Out of the 2,400 traffic police officers across the country, the commission has vetted 230 from the Coast region.

Commission Chief Executive Officer Ojango Omumo and commissioners Ronald Musengi, Murshid Mohammed and Mary Owuor among other representatives are part of the vetting panel held at Tom Mboya Labour College.

Kavuludi said the first round of interviews was set to be completed before the close of this financial year.