IG Joseph Boinnet sued over police transfer

Inspector General of Police (IG) Joseph Boinnet has been sued by a Senior Police officer in Kerugoya. (Courtesy)

The Inspector General of Police (IG) Joseph Boinnet has been sued by a Senior Police officer in Kerugoya for transferring him from Police Headquarters in Nairobi to the Central region.

In the documents filed at the Nyeri Employment Court, the officer George Gitonga claimed he was redeployed on January 30, 2018 without being given an opportunity to be heard.

Through lawyer Anne Thungu, Gitonga, who is Kerugoya Officer Commanding Station (OCS)   says he received a memo from the IG indicating that he had been redeployment with immediate effect.

“The applicant cannot clear his name once he gets in the new office. He will suffer great prejudice, humiliation and his career progression is likely to be ruined. He will suffer irreparably unless the court intervenes,” said the lawyer.

A letter by the Kirinyaga Police Commander David Kirui indicated that other officers at Kerugoya station were not happy with Gitonga especially when it came on arrest of suspects.

The letter indicated that there were emerging issues of team work amongst officers at the police station and that he was releasing suspects without due procedures.

 Kirui cited out four cases involving liquor traders who had been arrested for operating outside the stipulated hours but were released mysteriously.

In response, Gitonga said the suspects were released on cash bails.

He said prior to the transfer no proper investigations were done as he termed the allegations as baseless and untrue.

The case will be mentioned on March 21