Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has clarified his move to rescale retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s security.
Speaking ok Friday in Mombasa, the IG said that the move was a process of restructuring the police service.
“Once the president has retired, the commander is a superintendent of police.An officer who was of the rank of an assistant Inspector General was with the retired president. So how do you expect an assistant Inspector General to report to another assistant Inspector General,” Koome said.
He denied reports that the rescalling of the police officers attached to the former president was politically motivated.
“There is no politics at play when it comes to the security of VIPs. We are a responsible police service and we would not like to be dragged into politics because we are an independent office,” he said
Koome also dismissed reports that the security detail of former first lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta has been withdrawn.
“The former First Lady has security, not just the former first lady, even our late two former Presidents, we secure their premises. We respect those offices, we provide security,” Koome stated.
On withdrawing the security detail assigned to former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, Koome stated that the changes were made to rationalize security deployment in the country and ensure that security personnel were distributed fairly.
According to him, it would be unjust if retired government officials had to retain the same number of security personnel while current officials needed protection in their operations.
“We can’t provide security to retired government officials and there are active CSs who must be in the office by 6am and leave at 10pm,” he said.
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