MPs demand answers over drugs exposÈ

Business

By steve Mkawale and Peter Orengo

Stung by the stark revelation of serial murders related to a drug haul, the Government has formed a committee to probe the brutal killings of at least five police officers involved in investigating drug cartels.

The stories exclusively covered by Kenya’s premier TV station KTN unearthed horrendous acts by the police against their colleagues, allegedly at the orders of senior members in Government.

The exposÈ, aired for two days and repeated for another two due to public demand, has been the topic of discussion in social spaces, including social networks Twitter, Facebook and other blogs.

On Wednesday, Assistant Minister for Internal Security and Provincial Administration Orwa Ojode told Parliament the committee was investigating the shocking and gruesome murders.

However, Ojode could not tell the House when the investigations would be completed or who the members of the committee are.

Untouchables

MPs Rachel Shebesh, Benjamin Washiali and Martha Karua, who raised the issue in Parliament during Question Time, sought to know what the Government was doing following the exposÈ that shocked the country.

The Jicho Pevu and Inside Story exposÈ titled ‘Paruwanja la Mihadarati’ and ‘The Untouchables’ respectively, gave a chilling account of how officers linked to drug cartels may have conspired to eliminate four police officers.

One of the officers from the GSU department, Erastus Chemorei, was gunned down at his home near Kitale town, after he allegedly refused to hand over keys to a store at the GSU headquarters where the Sh6 billion cocaine haul had been stored.

The MPs were asking supplementary questions in an issue raised by Bundalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, who sought to know whether the Government had concluded investigations into allegations linking four MPs and a businessman to drug trafficking.

Ojode said the Anti-Narcotics Unit was still investigating the allegations raised by former US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger.

He, however, said no adequate evidence was found to link them to drug trafficking in the interim report read in Parliament on February 17 by Cabinet Minister George Saitoti.

Karua wondered if the Government was under the control of drug trafficking cartels.

"Why has the anti-narcotics unit failed to take anyone to court over the matter?" she asked.

Temporary Speaker Joyce Laboso cut short the debate and directed Ojode to bring a report in the House on the investigations, but Ojode said he could not promise a report in the near future, as investigations were ongoing.

His answers immediately raised a furore by Kenyans in the social media, with many expressing reservations on the Government’s commitment to punish the culprits.

"I am still digesting what I have witnessed in the last four days. I don’t understand how heartless some people can get, including forcing a human being to eat another’s brains!" said a viewer.

Shot 20 times

In the second episode of the series, Mr Abubakar Ndiema, Chemorei’s neighbour, narrated how he was forced to scoop and eat the former GSU officers brains after being shot more than 20 times.

Yet another Kenyan who watched all the episodes expressed disbelief that some police officers could reduce themselves to the level of beasts.

Kenyans praised the work of KTN reporters Mohamed Ali and Dennis Onsarigo, who took about a year to unearth those behind the drug cartels.

The two had to travel to Holland and Belgium to connect whatever information they had gathered in Kenya.

"I hope the efforts of the two reporters will finally push Kenyans to doing something against those who continue to disgrace our country," said a fan. Another Kenyan wondered why "criminals" were being rewarded after doing dirty work for well-connected people in Government.

"Where were the civil society groups when such atrocities where happening? Why promote criminals who kill others mercilessly?" asked a blogger.

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