New DCI boss is a hands-on man who led hunt for thugs

The newly appointed acting Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) boss George Kinoti is expected to make major changes in operations of the department.

He replaces Muhoro Ndegwa whose non-renewable six year term was to end in February.

“He is more of an operations man than an office individual and we believe he will return the DCI back to its former glory when the likes of Francis Sang were in charge. He understands the operations of DCI because he has worked within for a long time,” a senior DCI officer who has worked with Mr Kinoti said yesterday. Kinoti comes in a time when the DCI has been under scrutiny for not effectively investigating and successfully prosecuting cases.

Mr Muhoro and lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi have had run-ins over the way investigations were being conducted into the Tatu City saga.

At one time, the out going DCI boss had instructed all investigation officers to submit land case files to the headquarters to be handled only by a team from the Land Fraud Unit.

Kinoti is expected to improve morale and professionalism in the DCI.

Unlike Muhoro who was plucked from the Loresho Senior Police Training College, Kinoti is a known hands-on detective who has battled highway robbers in Kisumu, Busia, Migori, Isebania among others before being redeployed to Nairobi as Personal Assistant to former Director of Criminal Investigations Joseph Kamau.

Having worked as a PA to the Director of CID, Kinoti is expected to improve the welfare of officers. He came into the lime light when he led a team of elite detectives under the call sign Kanga Squad which ruthlessly dealt with criminals who had terrorised Nairobians.

In 2004, Kinoti led detectives in investigating and finally prosecuting the three guards implicated in the August 11th and 12th 2004 attack at Norfolk Apartments on author Ngugi Wa Thiongo and his wife Njeri.

The Ngugis were robbed of a laptop, a wedding band, three gold rings and Sh 34,000 during the incident in which Njeri was also sexually abused.

The three suspects namely Elias Sikuku Wanjala, Peter Mutati Wafula and Richard Kayago Maeti were convicted in 2006 and sentenced to death.

Kinoti will be remembered for writing his resignation letter in a huff and attaching a cheque to it after he was transferred from CID headquarters to Migori in what appeared to be retribution by former Commissioner of Police Mohammed Hussein Ali.

However, Kinoti was recalled and redeployed to be in charge of Complaints Section.