Mass transfer of police officers after Kisii chaos

Kisii, Kenya: Senior police officers in Kisii have been transferred after a spate of chaos that led to loss of property worth over Sh20 million in the past one week.

Kisii Central OCPD, Tom Mutisya, Deputy OCS Philip Kimanzi, OCS Crime Nicodemus Mutunga and other junior officers have been transferred to other stations across the country.

Mutisya will swap with his Busia counterpart Francis Nguli. Kimanzi will move to Kiamariga in Nyeri and will be replaced by Zamdan Mkonda from Juja. Mutunga will swap his position with Eliud Kiplimo from Manyatta, Embu.

Mutisya has served as Kisii Central police station OCPD for close to seven years. The other officers have served in their respective positions for less than one year.

Earlier, there was talk that senior officers in the police station did not represent regional balance since they were all from the same tribe.

The transfers come after a spate of chaos in town in the past one week. Property worth over Sh20 million was destroyed after students from Gusii Institute went on rampage burning over eight lorries and smashing several others.

The students also vandalised a nearby petrol station after a lorry allegedly being driven by a traffic officer lost control and hit two students at the institution’s gate. It is said police took 15 hours to restore normalcy. For the second time, the students again on Wednesday afternoon barricaded the Kisii-Nairobi road looting and stoning vehicles. Again police are said to have failed to turn up.

“We have undertaken this step to ensure residents have improved services,” said Kisii County police Chief Simon Kiragu. The demonstration forced County commissioner, Chege Mwangi on Thursday afternoon to order indefinite closure of the institution.