Verdict on the vetted police officers expected Monday 23

By CYRUS OMBATI

NAIROBI, KENYA: The police vetting panel went into a retreat to analyse the performance of the first seven vetted officers before they announce their verdict. 

Plans are that the verdicts will be known to the officers and public by next Monday on December 23. 

The applicable vetting standards included officer’s satisfaction of entry and training requirements, their professional conduct and discipline, integrity and financial probity, and respect for human rights.

The exercise was looking into skills inventory, competence and suitability and integrity of the top police officers. 

Officers who satisfy the Commission with regard to competence and suitability will be retained and those who do not will be removed from service. 

Those vetted included General Service Unit (GSU) Commandant William Saiya, Kiganjo Police Training College Commandant Peter Kavila, the Director of the Small Arms Secretariat John Patrick Ochieng and the Director of Reforms at police headquarters Jonathan Koskei. 

Abdi Shurie of the Administration Police Training College, Francis Okonya who was formerly the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Peter Eregae were also vetted. 

The officers who will be successful in the vetting will automatically be named to the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police (SAIG) in a new structure. 

Those removed from the service will however, have the opportunity to appeal the panel’s findings during vetting review which is composed of the NPSC members, Retired Justice Sarah Ondeyo, former Deputy Director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority John Mutonyi among others. 

National Police Service Commission chairman Johnstone Kavuludi said a new structures for the service has directorates at various levels. 

In the national structure, there will be ten SAIGs. Two will be in the Inspector General’s office, four in the office of the Deputy IG in charge of police, three in the office of DIG for AP and one in the office of Director of CID. 

“There will be four SAIGs in the office of DIG Kenya Police, namely the Principal Assistant, commandant GSU, Commandant Kenya Police College and Commandant Anti- Stock Theft Unit.”  

The next team to be targeted are 26 Deputy Commissioners of Police, 66 Senior Assistant Commissioners of Police and 115 Assistant Commissioners of police in both regular and Administration Police. 

The exercise according to the panel is set to begin on January 6, 2014 and run for four to six weeks. 

Kavuludi said all officers will be vetted individually later by August. 

“There will be no group vetting but we will call each officer to come and defend him or herself. We are looking into the integrity and suitability of individuals,” he said. 

He added the process and procedures will be consistently applied in accordance with constitution. 

Kavuludi said the exercise will take into account the need to protect the values and principles set out in the constitution. 

Those in the vetting panel include NPSC Commissioners Kavuludi, Ronald Musengi, Mary Owour, Mohamed Murshid, David Kimaiyo, Samuel Arachi, Grace Kaindi, Francis Muhoro, Benedict Nzioki, Nyumba Kumi initiative committee members Joseph Kaguthi (Chairman) and two members of his committee security expert Simiyu Werunga and former Criminal Investigations Director (CID) Director Francis Sang and former police officer Mike Harris and don Kimani Njogu.