GSU officers accuse seniors of harassment and corruption

What you need to know:

  • Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police James Mwaniki, who was until his dismissal in 2013 the General Staffing Officer -- technically the third in the GSU command structure -- has moved to court over claims of arbitrary dismissal. The court is set to rule on the matter on October 8.
  • Mr Mwaniki was dismissed in September last year for alleged indiscipline. He had last year led the security operation at Westgate Shopping Mall when suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists struck on September 21 until the military took over.

There is growing disquiet at the General Service Unit (GSU) of the National Police with serving and former officers alleging rampant victimisation, corruption and harassment by senior officers – claims police headquarters has roundly rejected.

The allegations come hot on the heels of the damning revelations of widespread corruption in the recent police recruitment exercise. The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has since annulled the hiring of 1,215 recruits in 36 centres across the country.

In addition, the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) has moved to court to seek cancellation of the recruitment.

Serving and former GSU officers have spoken out on the rot afflicting the paramilitary unit whose headquarters is at Ruaraka in Nairobi.
Arbitrary dismissal

The officers told the Sunday Nation they are being arbitrarily dismissed, transferred or demoted on questionable grounds. Others have opted to retire and seek jobs elsewhere because of constant victimisation and abuse.

Some officers based at the Embakasi Training School alleged their seniors were making illegal deductions from their payslips for non-existent medical insurance and camp maintenance.

“We wonder if expertise in corruption is a qualification for one to be promoted in the police service,” one of the junior officers told the Sunday Nation.
But police headquarters dismissed the allegations as unfounded and malicious.

Police spokesperson Zipporah Mboroki said Vigilance House –– the police headquarters –– has not received any complaints from any officer on the allegations and wondered why the officers would choose to speak to the media, yet there are avenues within the service to address such matters.

“There are no illegal deductions that have been made on any officer’s pay. In any case, the police officers’ pay is wired directly to respective bank accounts of individual officers from the Office of the President,” said Ms Mboroki.

She added that the alleged dismissals that have occurred followed the laid-down procedures. “The gravity of the offence is assessed by reference to its objective seriousness. In any case, the concerned officers have avenues to appeal which, if they don’t take, cannot claim arbitrary dismissals or victimisation,” Ms Mboroki said.

ARBITRARY DISMISSAL

Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police James Mwaniki, who was until his dismissal in 2013 the General Staffing Officer -- technically the third in the GSU command structure -- has moved to court over claims of arbitrary dismissal. The court is set to rule on the matter on October 8.

Mr Mwaniki was dismissed in September last year for alleged indiscipline. He had last year led the security operation at Westgate Shopping Mall when suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists struck on September 21 until the military took over.

Unbeknown to him, while he was leading the operation to flush out the terrorists from the shopping mall, his dismissal letter had been written on September 3.

“The saddest thing about my removal from the force was that it was effective September 3, 2013, yet the National Police Service Commission says it met on September 11, 2013 and decided to remove me from service, which means that they were meeting after a decision had already been made,” Mr Mwaniki said.

“I was also not pleased that during the Westgate operation, I was meeting with senior officers some of whom are all members of the NPSC. They knew I was no longer in service but allowed me to lead such a major security operation. Suppose something happened to me when I was at the Westgate operation, would they have said that I was an imposter?” the former GSU officer said.

Another victim of the rank of a corporal was summarily dismissed for failing to “observe the recommended camp speed limit of 10km per hour, thereby almost causing an accident with GK A197P at the round-about within the camp.” 

His appeal of January 25, 2010 to then Commissioner of Police Matthew Iteere was dismissed “for lack of merit”.