Matiang’i overhauls security chiefs in Nakuru amid a worrying crime surge

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i Wednesday read the Riot Act to security chiefs, firing warning shots to administrators and police officers who abet crime.

Dr Matiang’i also put on notice organised criminal gangs as he visited Nakuru County, which has experienced a wave of crime.

In the past few months, the county has been hit by insecurity, including the murders of three women in Mawanga, Bahati constituency.

Dr Matiang’i announced an overhaul of the regional security team as part of measures to stem the rising crime in the region.

Kasarani OCPD promoted

Speaking at a public security forum in Mawanga, Dr Matiang’i announced the promotion of Kasarani Officer Commanding Police Division Peter Mwanzo to the rank of county police commander in charge of Nakuru.

Mr Mwanzo will take over from Ms Beatrice Kiraguri, who has served for a year and three months since her deployment in March last year. Dr Matiang’i further indicated that more changes had been done within the different police ranks as well as the Administration department. He ordered the vetting of the local administrators in a move aimed at weeding out rogue and lazy officers.

The CS admonished the local officers over their failure to deal with criminal gangs that have caused residents of Nakuru sleepless nights. He regretted that the officers, who have adequate resources, have been unable to catch the criminals behind the gruesome murders of the three women in a span of two weeks.

“We have made changes in the management of security in this city and from today, we will have police patrols. We want the residents to have a new relationship with the police,” he said.

More officers, regular patrols

Among other measures put in place to end insecurity is the deployment of more officers and regular patrols. The CS, who was accompanied by Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti, GSU Commandant Douglas Kanja and other top security chiefs, said he was angered by news of insecurity in the region. On the criminal Confirm gang, Dr Matiang’i had a warning – that the government was determined to wipe out the gang and flush its members out of their hideouts.

“We have all the resources, we are not going to sleep until we get the last one of them,” he said.

He warned those who finance and support the gangs that they would be treated as criminals.

The tough-talking CS promised residents that they would not experience another attack by the gang, and asked them to surrender information they may have about criminal elements to authorities. The move to reorganise the security docket is believed to have been prompted by complaints that some police officers were working with the gangs.

A full in-tray now awaits Mr Mwanzo, including the dismantling of Confirm, which has been blamed for muggings, rape and murders. Mr Mwanzo, who is known by colleagues as a no-nonsense officer, has been praised for tactically dealing with crime and criminal gangs in the areas he has served, including Kasarani.

Susan Wambui, who was murdered last week in Mawanga, was buried yesterday at Kabazi in Subukia. Her killers remain at large.

[email protected] Addional reporting by Mercy Koskei