We will become corrupt if you move us from Vigilance House, junior cops warn

Junior officers working at Vigilance House fear losing their jobs should they be transferred from the police headquarters.

This comes amid talk that hundreds of officers will be moved from Vigilance House and deployed to other stations across the country. The move is causing anxiety among officers between the ranks of Constable and Chief Inspector who now fear being vulnerable to corruption if deployed elsewhere.

Interestingly, it is the same officers who have complained that Vigilance House is not a ‘lucrative’ station.

Their fears seem to be informed by the recent sacking of 63 senior officers found to be unfit to serve. The Superintendent of Police (SP) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) kicked out of the Kenya Police and Administration Police services were accused of either being corrupt, abusing office or violation of human rights.

Junior officers at Vigilance House serve as technicians, signalers and crime and intelligence officers. “If they want to effect the changes, they should wait until we are vetted. Outside is tempting, it is very easy to engage in corrupt activities, which can be used against you as evidence by the vetting panel,” said one of the officers. He claimed they had information they will be replaced by those from the traffic department. “Why bring those dirty people here, these place will collapse because they don’t have the experience,” added officer.

National Police Service Commission Chairman Johnstone Kavuludi has indicated that the next phase of vetting will target traffic police officers. About 12,000 officers work in the department. But a senior officer at Vigilance House said the anticipated transfers were normal, but that the figures had been overstated.