Police boss moved from JKIA over Miguna fiasco, harassment of journalists

Miguna Miguna at JKIA.

Kenya Airport Police Unit (KAPU) commandant Philip Ndolo was removed from its command on Tuesday over the Miguna Miguna saga.

Mr Ndolo was summoned to police headquarters and ordered to hand over the command to Nyamira County police commander Titus Karuri Ndungu.

Ndungu had also been summoned to Nairobi and was told to rush to the airport and take over immediately.

Ndolo was accused of mishandling the operations at the airport after he allegedly called in General Service Unit personnel to chase away Miguna’s lawyers and journalists from the facility.

He is also accused of failing to take over  the operation properly after realising there were many lawyers in the baggage hall where Miguna was held.

“He is being accused of many issues including calling GSU to take over such an operation, harassing of journalists and allowing of unauthorised people to the baggage hall,” said an official aware of the operation.

But Ndolo is said to have told his seniors the issue of allowing people into the baggage hall was the work of the Kenya Airports Authority and his job was to ensure security.

Another source said the release of GSU personnel to the airport was not done properly and an investigation had been launched.

“That is an international airport. Journalists were doing their job. There was need for proper organisation to ensure limited people were allowed into where Miguna was held,” added another official.

Police are also accused of wrongly confining Miguna in a toilet whereas the airport has a legal holding cell that he could have stayed.

“We also don’t know who made the decision to hold Miguna in a toilet when we have a holding cell. Police have been accused of many violations that were unnecessary,” added another source.

Miguna Miguna in detention at a JKIA toilet

Ndolo is a seasoned police officer having served in GSU, several provinces and even acted as head of operations at police headquarters before being posted to JKIA in 2016.

The government rejected Dr Miguna’s return to Kenya and attempted to re-deport him to Dubai on  Monday after a nine-hour stand-off at the airport.

But Miguna refused to board the Dubai-bound Emirates flight, triggering probably the most dramatic scenes ever witnessed JKIA in recent days.