New police chiefs meet to re-evaluate security,Gen-Z Nane Nane plan

Recently promoted police bosses yesterday held an inaugural meeting with senior commanders to discuss various security issues including the handling of the Gen Z protests planned for tomorrow.

Sources told People Daily that criminals and other goons hired by some politicians are likely to take advantage of the planned demonstrations and cause chaos and loot property.

The Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Administration Police Service who is also the acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli and his Kenya Police Service counterpart Eliud Lagat yesterday met senior officers at the National Police Training Campus in Embakasi where it was resolved, among other things, that the deployment will be heavy and that the protests would be allowed to take place.

The meeting was also attended by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss, Mohammed Amin whose dicket is expected to play a key role in the deployment of officers for covert operations.

Reports indicate that security agencies have been directed not to take any chances and instead deploy all the available resources including aerial support for the ground troops.

Masengeli however also warned that officers would be conducting covert and overt operations to ensure that goons and other criminals do not infiltrate the protests.

Identity of criminal

Already, investigations have been launched to establish the identity of the serious criminal elements who took advantage of peaceful demos.

“The security officers must ensure that they differentiate between the real Gen Z and those opportunists who will take advantage of the protests to cause mayhem and acts of violence,” he said.

The police have been criticized over the manner in which they have handled the protests with civil society and other foreign countries maintaining that the concerns raised by the youth are genuine and should be addressed.

Another team of unit and formation commanders also held separate meetings in Nairobi to plan on how to cover the protests among other security challenges experienced across the country.

The two meetings came just a day after the Internal Security Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo also met the Regional Commissioners in Nairobi.

“In light of the recent public unrest, it is evident that National Government Administrative Officers must adopt a more proactive and visible approach in managing such situations,” PS Omollo said.

The meeting chaired by PS Omollo discussed the law and public order situation across their respective regions and also reviewed their coordination role to better foster genuine dialogue that resonates with the public’s grievances.

Masengeli took over from Japhet Koome who resigned on July 12 following pressure from Kenyans and the civil society over the manner in which he handled the protests and other security issues.

Many challenges

Former DIG KPS Douglas Kanja has been proposed for the position. He is waiting for the process to start in Parliament.

The new police bosses come to office when the country is facing many challenges in general including the protests, joblessness and rising crime.

The president had also directed that all cases of misconduct by the police be properly and expeditiously investigated, and that the suspects who were arrested but not implicated in crimes should be released and the charges against them withdrawn.

The president also directed police to act responsibly, professionally and effectively and in full compliance with the Constitution.
Whereas President William Ruto has ordered that every junior officer get a salary increment of at least Sh4,000 the service still faces many challenges.

The government says it needs Sh108 billion to implement proposed reforms in the police, prisons and National Youth Service. Lack of finances may however derail the planned reforms at large, officials say.

Criminally responsible

On July 31, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) warned that senior police commanders will be held criminally responsible if the ongoing investigations do not identify the individual officers involved in the shooting of protesters.

IPOA lamented that the investigators were facing various challenges including non-cooperation by police commanders, witness interference and threats and general lack of credible witnesses among others.

IPOA chairperson Anne Makori said the Nairobi region police commander Adamson Bungei and other senior officers had been interrogated over the manner in which the demonstrations were handled.

“Nairobi police commander Bungei was summoned and he did what was required of him. Eight other senior officers have also recorded their statements,” she said.

The chairperson was speaking yesterday when the board met officials from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Vocal Africa and HAKI Africa plus the families of some of the people who died in the hands of police during the recent demonstrations.

The families maintained that what they experienced and are currently going through is not warranted adding that for the sake of closure, it was important that the cases under investigations be expedited. Vocal Africa’s Khalid Hussein said they had documented about 60 deaths and over 300 injuries. He further pleaded with the IPOA to intervene and ensure that those without strong cases against them be released as earlier directed by President William Ruto.

More Articles

---