Fake certificate costs Kenyan policeman job 22 years on

National Police Service Commission Chairman Johnston Kavuludi (left) flanked by commissioners Ronald Musengi (centre) and Mary Awuor during a press conference to release the results of the vetting of 31 officers Wednesday. [PHOTO: DAVID NJAAGA/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: Charles Nyakeri used his cousin Nelson Omwenga Nyakundi’s academic certificate to get recruited into the police force over two decades ago.

For the last 22 years, Mr Nyakeri alias Nyakundi rose through the ranks in the Administration Police to the position of superintendent before the ongoing vetting smoked him out.

The real Nyakundi is currently a principal of a secondary school in Kisii County. National Police Service

Commission Chairman Johnston Kavuludi said Nyakeri would be subjected to disciplinary action for using certificates that did not belong to him to get recruited.

The officer’s documents showed that he was in Standard Eight when he was only 10 years old.

“There is no way he would be in Standard One while aged three years. It was a revelation that even shocked his relatives. This probe was launched after a complaint was lodged here,” said Mr Kavuludi.

Nyakeri is among seven police officers who face the sack after they were found unsuitable to hold public office by the National Police Service Commission. They are accused engaging in criminal activities, corruption, human trafficking, smuggling and forgery of academic certificates.

Other allegations include submission of fake bank statements and M-Pesa statements, unprofessional conduct and failure to provide documents or information required by the commission.

The seven were among 31 officers whose vetting results were last October withheld for further investigations.

Among the officers dismissed are SSPs (Senior Superintendent of Police) Lawrence Martin Kariuki, William Meto Kiprotich and Joseph Kipkemoi Kemeli. Others are SPs Jackson Muriuki Magambo, Samuel Olentutu Olenkiti and Samuel Bore Kipwese and Assistant Superintendent of Police Peter Kemboi Chemos. Out of 24 officers found suitable 10 are senior superintendents, ten are superintendents and four are assistant superintendents. Kavuludi said the officers may request for a review of the decision by the commission in line with vetting regulation 33(1) provided the request is based on the discovery of a new and important matter that was not within the knowledge of, or could not be provided by the officer at the time the determination was made.

The review can also be based on “some mistake or error apparent on the face of the record or any reason that the commission considers just and proper”.

“The vetting of this cohort also brought into sharp focus the role of electronic money transfer, especially M-Pesa in facilitating corruption,” he pointed out. “Through a scrutiny of M-Pesa statements, the commission was able to establish a worrying trend where junior police officers remitted money to their seniors regularly.”

During the probe of the 31 officers, the commission discovered that most M-Pesa kiosks within and around police stations are either owned or contracted by police for purposes of “facilitating direct money transfers in order to cover their tracks”.

The depositors, according to the commission are mostly motorists or junior officers making transfers to their seniors.

The next cohort to be vetted represents the backbone of policing services in the country as it includes chief inspectors and inspectors of police both from Kenya Police and Administration Police posts, which are the basic units of service delivery and the beginning point of the criminal justice system.”

Others to be vetted include officers of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and traffic police officers.

Kavuludi says the commission is in the process of compiling a list of all these officers who number about 12,000.

The objective of the vetting is to build confidence and trust in the National Police Service.

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

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