New panelists co-opted into National Police Service Commission vetting panel

By CYRUS OMBATI

Kenya: New officials have been co-opted into the National Police Service Commission vetting panel to participate in the third phase of the exercise slated to start on Monday.

The new panelists will be from the Law Society of Kenya, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Public Service Commission, National Gender and Equality Commission.

Among those who will participate are Perminus Mutonyi, Charles Muthusi of LSK and Stanley Karicho of Directorate of Personnel Management.

They will replace Simiyu Werunga, Francis Sang and Joseph Kaguthi of Nyumba Kumi Initiative and Kimani Njogu who resigned on Tuesday to participate in other matters.

Full commission met Thursday to prepare for the exercise saying they were ready to face 166 officers of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police and Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police.

“We are ready to carry on with the exercise from Monday. We will face other officers of the rank of SSP and SP in counties,” said commission chairman Johnston Kavuludi.

On Monday, Hirald Mbabu, Xavier Mbogo, Moses Ombati and Daniel Kebenei will be among those who will face the vetting team. The exercise will be conducted for 12 days.

Kavuludi said vetting is mandatory for all officers before they are promoted to the next rank, confirmed or posted.

Sixteen officers who had been invited for the exercise have opted out of the exercise after reaching retirement age, the commission said.

The vetting panel will be divided into four different groups before they start the exercise at the commission offices in Westlands, Nairobi.