Hello

Your subscription is almost coming to an end. Don’t miss out on the great content on Nation.Africa

Ready to continue your informative journey with us?

Hello

Your premium access has ended, but the best of Nation.Africa is still within reach. Renew now to unlock exclusive stories and in-depth features.

Reclaim your full access. Click below to renew.

Subscribe for a month to get full access

US asked Kibaki to sack police chief Ali

US government officials asked President Kibaki to sack former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali over his alleged role in extra- judicial killings.

According to cables extracted from the US embassy, assistant secretary of State Johnnie Carson demanded that President Kibaki sacks Maj-Gen Ali because accusing him of incompetence or failing to do his job.

At a meeting between President Kibaki and Mr Carson and the senior director in charge of Africa at the US National Security Council, Ms Michelle Gavin, on May 12, 2009, the two said the government’s failure to sack incompetent officials had created a perception that no progress was being made on reforms.

Also Read

Human rights activists

According to the two diplomats, the “assassination” of two human rights activists and the subsequent inaction by the government to track down the killers had “shaken” Washington and cast a shadow over the Kenyan police and the judicial system.

“He (Carson) added that President Kibaki had the power to act to improve this perception,” the cables state in a barely disguised plea for Mr Kibaki to remove Police Commissioner Hussein Ali.

The revelations are likely to add pressure on the retired major-general coming just a day after he was ordered to appear before the International Criminal Court on April 7 over the post-election violence.

In the headlines