Inspector-General nominee Japhet Koome has pledged to stop the rampant taking of bribes by police officers saying the time has come to stamp out corruption.
Mr Koome, who placed his net worth at Sh89.9 million said corruption has given police a bad name and therefore must be dealt with.
“This is a matter that has been in the public domain for long. We are at a point where we must stamp authority and eliminate corruption,” he told a joint committee of the National Assembly and the Senate when he appeared for vetting.
Mr Koome said the National Police Service Commission (NPS) does not teach police officers how to be corrupt but to stop corruption.
“I am currently in charge of Kiganjo Police Training college and I can assure you that the college is corruption-free,” Mr Koome said.
He said if appointed the Inspector-General, he will take the bull by its horns as he works to eliminate corruption in the service.
“If you approve my nomination, all police officers will have their two names displayed.
“I will ensure that from the Inspector-General, we will wear a tag. I expect my officers to display their name tags for the public to identify them,” said Mr Koome.
He said even if police officers are in civilian clothing, they must display their tags for the public to see.
“If I am in a suit and I am on duty, I must have a tag. It is not acceptable for police officers to take bribes. I will fight it if I am given the job,” said Mr Koome.
He said a reward system would be established where commanders remunerate officers who fight graft.
“Kenyans who capture police receiving a cent will get a monetary reward. We want corruption stamped out from our roads to police stations. I intend to fight it all the way,” he said.
Mr Koome rejected allegations made by Zaina Kombo, claiming that he was involved in human rights violations as he served as Nairobi County commander.
Mr Kombo claimed that reports produced by the Kenya National Human Rights Commission during the post-election violence in 2017indicated that Mr Koome commanded police to raid the University of Nairobi hostels.
“That I believe that the period in which Japhet Koome was the Nairobi County commander was marked by serious human rights violations including police killings of unarmed protesters, children and sexual violence documented by the KNCHR’s “Mirage at Dusk,” Mr Kombo claimed.
He claimed that there was widespread looting of student property and a university driver was also beaten up during the ordeal.
Mr Kombo said in a sworn affidavit that in an inquest into the killing of nine-year-old, Stephanie Moraa Gisemba, the court determined that the police refused to provide the report of their investigations, failed to cooperate with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and also refused to produce operation orders for Mathare North.
But defending himself, Mr Koome said during the post-election violence, a girl died somewhere in Mathare slums and the matter was investigated and he was found not culpable.
“The matter was investigated and I was cleared. There was violence but I was not involved, Mr Koome said.
