Declare support for police probe, group tells State

By CYRUS OMBATI

A civil rights organisation wants the President and Inspector General of Police to publicly declare their commitment to police vetting in the wake of threats to the officials carrying out the exercise.

The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) said the threats to the vetting panel are serious and require national attention from the two offices.

“We demand a public declaration by the presidency and the Inspector General of Police of their commitment to the police vetting process,” said IMLU boss Peter Kiama.

He also asked that the security of the panelists and secretariat carrying out the exercise be enhanced and the culprits arrested and prosecuted.

Kiama said vetting is a key pillar of police reforms, insisting that any efforts to frustrate or derail the exercise is malicious and uncalled for, hence the need for resistance at all costs.

Section 7(2) and (3) of the National Police Service Act says all police officers need to undergo vetting to assess their suitability and competence. Kiama was reacting to threats in a letter sent to National Police Service Commission (NPSC) Chairman Johnston Kavuludi and Commissioner Mohamed Murshid, which warned them to go slow on the exercise or else they will also suffer the same way as those who have been sent home in the exercise.

Police handling the case are yet to make any arrest or know the source of the threats.

Detectives at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters have launched a probe into the letter that was laced with a powder believed to be poisonous and delivered to the commission offices on Tuesday.

The hand-written note, on a letterhead of Industrial Police Station in Nairobi, told Kavuludi he risked mortal danger over his role.

Kavuludi said the letter was tailored to dissuade the commission from probing the senior officers.