Amin Mohamed firms up grip on DCI as Kinoti men suffer in shuffle

DCI boss Mohamed Amin takes the oath of office at the Supreme Court Building on October 19, 2022. [Collins Kweyu, Standard] Just one day after Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji made damning revelations about the workings of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, a purge on former DCI boss George Kinoti's perceived loyalists took place. Major reshuffles were announced targeting senior sleuths as investigations into dealings of a section of the officers gathered pace. The new DCI boss Amin Mohamed made changes that were interpreted as the dispersal of the last of Kinoti's henchmen at the Kiambu Road offices. The changes, approved by the National Police Service Commission, have seen some officers who were close to Mr Kinoti moved to far-flung areas. In the changes, Amin has also returned to the DCI some senior officers who had left the unit when Kinoti took over in 2018. This even as investigations into the dealings of the now disbanded Special Service Unit (SSU), a unit within DCI. On Sunday, DPP Noordin Haji accused officers at the DCI of among other things, forging documents and using the media to pressurise his office to prosecute cases that had feeble legal standing. The accusations followed claims that the DCI had a special unit that was being used by the high and mighty to do extrajudicial works. The changes announced yesterday drew mixed reactions with some of those affected believing they were moved due to their perceived closeness with the former DCI boss. But others have interpreted it as normal administrative procedures by the new DCI who is crafting a new team to help him deliver on his mandate. Said Kiprotich Mohammed, who was the Nairobi area head of operations, was yesterday named the new DCI head of operations. He is a seasoned police operative who has previously commanded two DCI units - Flying squad and Special Crimes Prevention Unit - both which were disbanded following public outcry. Said replaces Bernard Gicheru, who has been serving on contract after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 years. It remains unclear if the new administration will accommodate Gicheru or will let him go with three months before the end of his contract. One-year contract Gicheru was not re-deployed and his fate now hangs in the balance. In the run-up the August 9 election, Gicheru secured a one-year contract which ends on February 2023. Obadiah Kuriah, who was the DCI head of Serious Crime Unit, was yesterday moved from the headquarters on Kiambu Road to Turkana County and named the DCI boss there. Kuria, a senior Superintendent of Police has been at the centre of a controversy after he publicly announced that he was coerced by his former boss to charge Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. In an affidavit filed in court, Kuria alleges that his team was under pressure from Kinoti to make recommendations that would put Gachagua in the dock. Due to the rush to charge Gachagua, the detective says, crucial areas were not covered in the investigations. The investigator asked the court to drop the Sh7.3 billion graft case against the DP on grounds that he was compelled to implicate the suspect. "There are crucial areas of investigations that were not adequately covered in the course of our investigations that would shed some light in determining the culpability or otherwise of the accused persons charged," Kuria says in the affidavit. Kuria told the court that it would be prejudicial to continue with the case against Gachagua and nine other suspects due to the gaps in the investigations. He asked the court to drop the matter. It remains unclear if this confession has anything to do with his transfer. Earlier, former DCI head of investigations bureau John Gachomo and a close ally of Kinoti was transferred from the DCI headquarters in the face of a fallout with his former boss. Gachomo has also sworn an affidavit claiming his former boss coerced him to lie. In his affidavit filed in court, Gachomo revealed that he was compelled to lie and sign an affidavit implicating Court of Appeal Judge Justice Sankale ole Kantai to the gruesome murder of Dutch businessman Tob Cohen. Gachomo told the court that Kinoti duped him into signing the explosive document to implicate the judge . Said Gachomo: "I can confirm that the contents of the affidavit dated September 27, 2021, are neither based on facts nor documents from the file held by my office. The contents of the said affidavit are false and therefore retract, deny any knowledge and could not have been uttered by myself." The affidavit was deposited at the High Court Constitutional and Human Rights Division in Milimani. Gachomo, together with former DCI head of Crime Intelligence Unit boss Paul Mumo were moved to Police headquarters, Vigilance house awaiting deployment by the Inspector General. Gachomo's position as the head of investigations has since been taken over by Eliud Lagat a long serving DCI head of bomb squad. John Onyango who was the Nyanza Region DCI boss will fill Mumo's position as the head of Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau. Pius Gitari, a former head of DCI Special Service Unit that has since been disbanded is also awaiting deployment. Former DCI head of Personnel Wanderi Mwangi, who was unceremoniously moved from DCI Headquarters, has been named the new DCI head of planning. Margaret Karanja, who has been heading the DCI forensic unit is the new head of the anti-narcotics police unit Others affected include: Francis Wanjau who has been appointed the new Rift valley Region DCI boss. Baraza Walumoli, who until yesterday was the coast Region DCI boss has been moved to the DCI headquarters and named the Director of reforms. Mwenda Ethaiba, who was the Narok county DCI boss is the new Director of Inspection at the DCI headquarters.

Amin Mohamed firms up grip on DCI as Kinoti men suffer in shuffle

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