Senators are demanding for the immediate restoration of the National Police Reservist, a section of the house leadership terming the decision by the Ministry of Interior to withdraw guns from the NPR officers as political and a ploy to undermine the deputy president.
However, West Pokot Senator Samwel Poghisio said that, although he supported sentiments against the withdrawal of NPR, it was “unhelpful” for Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen to politicize the matter by drawing DP William Ruto’s name on the issue.
“The entire region requires NPRs but don’t pollute this good argument by bringing the name of politicians,” Poghisio said on the floor of the Senate in his contribution to a statement by Murkomen.
The Elgeyo Marakwet senator, in his statement, accused Interior CS Fred Matiangi, his PS Karanja Kibicho and the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai of unprocedurally altered government policy for political reasons aimed at punishing Ruto’s support base as a way of turning them against him.
“You cannot undermine the security of the people of Kerio Valley just to frustrate Dr Ruto’s presidential Bid,” Murkomen had told the August House.
“If you have a problem with the DP solve it in Nairobi. Don’t use the children and women of Kerio Valley to make your point.”
Murkomen had been infuriated by Tiaty MP William Kamket’s tweet that seemed to celebrate the move by the ministry, arguing that the demobilised NPRs were Ruto’s ‘militia’ for 2022 general election.
“The people of Elgeyo Marakwet wants the Ministry to come clean on the remarks by the member of the National assembly or else it will be misconstrued to mean that it meant to frustrate the DP’s support base.”
He said the decision to withdraw guns allocated and suspend NPR was unilateral, abrupt and done without public participation, sentiments which were echoed by lawmakers mainly from marginalised regions which benefit from the NPR programme.
Poghisio said: “You can only disarm reservists if the people in the region are properly protected and in this case they are not. It was wrong.”
Senator Hargura Godhana (Marsabit) demanded for an explanation and what alternatives were in place after the withdrawal of the reservists, warning that his was one of the counties left badly exposed.
“NPR has stabilized insecurity in the north through the community security systems which has been very effective. Since they were withdrawn incidences of cattle rustling have increased,” he said.
Isiolo senator Fatuma Dullo said the county had experienced two cattle rustling attacks in the last one week, while Turkana’s Imana Malachy argued the decision had left the people more insecure.
Matter of human rights
Dullo said: “We need an investigation on why this decision was made as it is a violation of the people’s rights.”
Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja observes the matter touches on human rights and has, in his capacity as the vice chair of the Security Committee, suggested they would be summoning Matiangi and his team from the ministry of interior to explain the decision.
“This is a human rights issue and it appears that we have normalized death in northern Kenya. It is important the CS and other Ministry officials should appear and explain the rationale behind the policy change.”
Senators Ledama ole Kina and Stephen Lelegwe challenged the ministry to reconsider the decision and engage the communities and their leaders on how best to address the matter.
Murkomen claimed that since the decision was taken, several people had been killed, schools closed down for fear of attacks and families displaced without basic needs.
Retired IGP Joseph Boinett had cleaned up the NPR of rogues that took advantage of the arms provided by government to perpetrate crime.
Boinett had followed the National Police Service Act in the recruitment, vetting training and deployment of reservists to the region but Murkomen says the residents are wondering why the exercise is being repeated all over again.
According to Murkomen, this is a scheme which after the fresh vetting of the NPRs some areas will be isolated from having the reservists back and allocation being dependent on political considerations and personal relations of local leaders with the interior Ministry.
