Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has defended his orders to scale down, redeploy as well as withdraw security personnel from Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta as well as former Cabinet Secretaries and VIPs.
Speaking in Mombasa on Friday, Koome said the move is part of a wider raft of rationalization of personnel within the police service.
The police boss refuted allegations that security detail attached to the Former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta had been withdrawn, appealed to the affected parties to refrain from sensationalizing the issue.
The IG further defended claims of arming disproportionately Police Reservist in clash prone areas, affirming confidence of the government in containing the situation.
Koome noted that the move was in good faith and not a result of a political witch-hunt.
According to Koome, the presidential escort unit of a sitting president falls under the command of an Assistant IG but upon retirement, the unit’s leadership is transferred to a superintendent who reports directly to a deputy IG.
Therefore, by having an Assistant IG continue leading former President Kenyatta’s security detail, would have caused a conflict in the chain of command since an officer of the same rank is in charge of President Ruto’s security command.
“Once a president is retired the commander of his escort unit is a superintendent of police. That has been the arrangement since the late President Moi retired,” said Koome.
“An officer who was at the rank of assistant IG was with the just-retired president. So how do you expect an assistant IG to report to another assistant IG?”
He further stated that former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and retired Cabinet Secretaries’ security had ben scled down because they are nolonger on active duty. have also been scaled down since they are no longer on active duty.
The IG clarified that the government did not compel him to sanction the changes in security personnel of retired government officials.