4 | NEWSFOCUS SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 www.mygov.go.ke No police service arm to be dissolved, clarifies Boinnet Law does not provide for the collapse of any one unit of the Police Service to merge with the other, he says BY KIPTANUI CHERONO KNA-ELDORET T he Administration Police service is not being collapsed to totally merge with the Kenya Police Service contrary to news reports, the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet has reiterated. Boinnet said the law does not provide for the collapse of any one unit of the National Police Service formation to merge with the other. “The constitution is very clear about the structure of the National Police Service which consists of the Kenya Police Service and the Administration Police Service. The NPS Act provides for the formation of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations,” he explained. Addressing the press after briefing senior police officers drawn from five counties in the north rift region on the ongoing police reforms, Boinnet said what has been done was to re-organise the service into various units and formations as obligated by the law. The transformation programme he added is to collapse the parallel command structures that existed from the police headquarters to the lowest units at the counties. “We will now have one strong general police structure starting from the deputy inspector general of police, the regional commander, county commander to the sub county commanders and officers in charge of police stations,” said Boinnet. Video of ‘bribe taking’ traffic policemen played in court Eight officers allegedly filmed in the act of soliciting and receiving bribes face charges BY ANNE MWALE AND CHRISTINE ZAWADI KNA-NAKURU A video recording of eight traffic police officers in the alleged act of soliciting and receiving bribes from motorists on a busy highway was played in court on Friday. Chief Magistrate Josephat Kalo heard that Sh15,000 in cash was recovered from the officers during a sting operation conducted by officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission in 2014. Senior investigating officer at EACC Mr Charles Simiji was testifying in a case where police constables Maryanne Ng’ombe, Berding Kemboi, David Kentei and Esther Wandia have pleaded not guilty to charges of receiving bribes from Public Service Vehicle operators. Their other co-accused include police constables John Ekurumi, Laban Gekoni, Peter Gachehi and Mohammed Halima. The prosecution led by Joyce IG Joseph Boinnet (foreground, right), while addressing the press in Eldoret last Friday Serling alleges that the officers committed the offence on October 21st 2014 on the NakuruEldoret highway at Eveready. The witness, who presented before court audio-visual recordings of the traffic police officers allegedly collecting bribes, testified that preliminary investigations had established that the law enforcement agents had also neglected their duties. The policemen, who are represented by lawyer David Mongeri, are out on bond We had received numerous complaints about notorious extortion carried out by police officers. Commuter service vehicle drivers were instrumental in assisting us to set up the trap where we caught the culprits in the act - Rodgers Ekaki after pleading not guilty to the charges. Assistant Operations Officer at EACC Rodgers Ekaki testified before court that the accused persons were escorted and locked up at Railways police station following their arrest. “We had received numerous complaints about notorious extortion carried out by police officers. Commuter service vehicle drivers were instrumental in assisting us to set up the trap where we caught the culprits in the act,” testified Ekaki. Mr Kalo ordered the hearing to resume on October 24th this year. Rift Valley Fever alert ahead of seasonal rains Enhanced rainfall expected in the North-eastern, North-western, Western, Central and the Coastal regions of Kenya BY WANGARI NDIRANGU KNA-NAIROBI T he government has issued an alert on Rift Valley Fever in the impending October rainy season. The Director of Veterinary Services Charles Ochodo said the short rains from October to December season constituted an important rainfall season in Kenya. “It is expected that most parts of the country will experience enhanced rainfall that will also be well distributed both in time and space in the North-eastern, Northwestern, Western, Central and the Coastal regions of Kenya,” said Ochodo. Consequently, the director noted that there was bound to be outbreaks of the Rift Valley Fever disease, hence the need for all the county directors of veterinary service to be on high alert. He said in order to avoid the recurrence of the March-July of the outbreak of the disease in some counties, county officers were required to place early warning systems on high alert and bring the situation to the attention of the field staff, public health, administration and local community leaders. “They should also vaccinate in high risk areas as a preventive measure, step up passive surveillance and all reports of abortion and deaths, especially in young animals should be thoroughly investigated and blood samples sent to Center for Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) Kabete,” said Ochodo in a press release Friday. Field officers, he added, were also required to carry out weather monitoring activities and the report should capture changes in the level of precipitation and any events of flooding. “Officers should commence public awareness on diseases reporting, personal hygiene and discourage bare-hand handling of animal carcasses. In addition, disease control committees should be activated with immediate effect,” he said. Ochodo added that early detection of the disease is important in order to minimise the effects to both human and livestock and also reduce the cost of controlling the disease. According to the October, Officers should commence public awareness on diseases reporting, personal hygiene and discourage bare-hand handling of animal carcasses. In addition, disease control committees should be activated with immediate effect - Charles Ochodo November and December weather outlook provided by the meteorological department, Busia, Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Nyamira, Kisii, Meru, Embu and Tharaka counties would receive enhanced rainfall. Counties in Central Kenya, North Rift, North Western, Coastal and North Eastern Counties will receive above normal rains.
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