Senior police officer vetting set to resume at the Coast

What you need to know:

PSC chairman Johnston Kavuludi said at least 74 officers in the ranks of Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPDs) and Officer Commanding Station (OCSs) will be vetted.
The exercise was disrupted by last year’s deadly attacks in Mpeketoni and other parts of Lamu.

Vetting of senior police officers will resume at the Coast on Friday after it was disrupted by last year’s attacks in Lamu.

Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Johnston Kavuludi said at least 74 officers in the ranks of Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPDs) and Officer Commanding Station (OCSs) will be vetted in the exercise that will be concluded on Monday.

“We had to call it off last year when the attacks broke out so as to give the officers time to concentrate on dealing with the situation. Vetting of these officers will determine their suitability to serve in the service depending on their competence and skills,” said Mr Kavuludi.

The attacks in Mpeketoni and other parts of Lamu that were allegedly carried out by Al-Shabaab militia left more than 60 people dead.

Mr Kavuludi said the commissioners will Tuesday hold an orientation exercise to familiarise members of the interviewing panel who have not participated in past vetting with procedures.

Mr Kavuludi, who was addressing journalists at Mombasa county commissioner Nelson Marwa’s office, said officers found suitable will transit to new ranks that were gazetted late last year.

The exercise will be conducted at the Kenya School of Government in Mombasa.

Tomorrow, the commissioners will meet members of the parliamentary Committee on Delegated Legislation to discuss new regulations that the commission has drafted.

Hiring procedures

“We have developed regulations that outline the procedures to be followed in recruitment, appointment, promotion, discipline and transfer of police officers,” Mr Kavuludi said, adding that recruitment would be done by senior police officers conversant with the procedures.

“We know that there have been cases of corruption in hiring of officers in the past but this will be a thing of the past once the new recruitment procedures are implemented.

“It will no longer be a one-day event but a process that will take at least three months before a person is hired,” he said.