Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary nominee Kithure Kindiki was the first to take the stand in the vetting of President William Ruto's cabinet nominees where MPs took him to task on his 21-month tenure before he was fired.
Kindiki who appeared before the National Assembly Appointments Committee chaired by Speaker Moses Wetangula was tasked to explain security lapses and assertions on extrajudicial killing and abuse of power during his tenure.
He defended his work since he took office in October 2022 saying the security issues that have bedeviled the country including terror attacks in Lamu and Northern Kenya as well as banditry in Northern Kenya have reduced significantly.
"I can account for each day in my stay in the office. I believe am suitable for reappointment during those 21 months. I have been able to keep the country safe from terror attacks. in the past two years we have had suitable in northern Kenya and Lamu," Kindiki told MPs.
Excessive Police Force
Minority Leader Junet Mohammed queried him on the use of police excessive force during the Azimio La Umoja demonstration as well as the Anti-Finance Bill protests where dozens of people were killed while others were injured.
Police brutality during protests has been a contentious issue for several years with the police, tasked with maintaining law and order, have been accused of using excessive force to quell protests.
This has resulted in injuries and loss of life, with protesters claiming that they are exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
Kindiki expressed that the National Police Service did their best to restore order during the protests saying the baton now lies on the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) to deal with any officer who operated outside the law.
"The police did their best and if any officers went beyond what is allowed in terms of use of force its up to IPOA and other accountability organizations to help the country come to closure of the matter," he said.
At least four police officers so far are to face prosecution for shooting and killing protesters over the last four weeks, amid rising calls for justice for victims of the alleged excessive use of force.
Kindiki explaining security agencies would have no say in the matter unless the shooting was an operational order.
"The issue of use of firearm is individual and the Inspector General has no say on individual decision .The accountability of IG is on the operational order whether it met the requirement of the law.I commend the officers who help the country to come to terms on what happened," the nominee stated.
Under Kindiki's leadership, there have been concerns regarding the balance between security measures and human rights.
Some civil society organizations have criticized certain government actions as being heavy-handed which include extrajudicial killings and abductions.
"During my tenure I made it clear that abduction and extrajudicial killings were against international law. In the event of any excess and infraction by the special process helping us to fight banditry, IPOA must be put in place to ensure we don't spoil the law," he said.
Right to Picketing
Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa poked holes on Kindiki's tenure while overseeing demonstrations in the country questioning what the Interior CS nominee would do to shun confrtotations witnessed during protests.
"We have seen confrontations between the police and protestors. My view is that you have failed to designate picketing corners and Kenyans think they can picket anywhere and everywhere including restricted areas. What would you change,"Ichung'wah posed.
The Interior CS nominee explained that before he was dismissed his office was working on draft regulation on the Public Order Act which is not meant to curtail the right to picketing but protect Kenyans who are picketing and those engaging in their usual activities.
"Those regulation will ask protestors to be responsible for their own conduct and this is a low hanging matter to avoid the situation that we have had in the last one month which has caused destruction of property," Kindiki said.
Shakhahola & Kware Incidents
The Interior CS nominee was tasked on Shakhahola incidents as well as Kware incidents where grievious massacres and murder incidents unfolded with no one having been brought to book yet.
Response on the Kware murder incidents where 42 female bodies were found last month concealed in sacks near Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum with some of the bodies dismembered.
He explained that security breaches in the National Government Administration Officers and Nyumba Kumi intiatives led to the incident saying that once approved he will seal all the loopholes that have occasioned such incidents.
"Gaps in NGAO and Nyumba Kumi and our intelligence ability.Now that we have finalized proposal on reforms my next assignment will be initiate far reaching reforms to ensure we restructure NGAO to be more responsive and distribute it to the lowest level," Kindiki stated.
On Shakhahola incident, the Interior CS nominee asserted that if he is confirmed back into office he will ensure those responsible for the cult massacre where 131 children died over 400 followers of the Good News International Church died are brough to book.
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"Shakhahola will remain the most tragic security breach and we have learnt the lessons.The taskforce has given us recommendations on what we should do moving forward.I want to assure that if approved, I will ensure all arms' accountability must take responsibility,"Kindiki said.
Security tactics
The Former Interior CS also pointed out that during his one-and-a-half-year tenure as Cabinet Secretary, he has instituted police reforms spearheaded by various taskforces which has intensified the war against banditry in the country.
Kindiki elaborated that Under the Police Equipment Modernization (PEM) program, the government has significantly enhanced the capabilities of security services.
He said the government has invested Sh7.6 billion with plans to allocate an additional resource before he was dismissed from office.
"We have been able to take action on some of the recommendations that didn't require legal or policy changes.We have rolled massive police modernization equipment program,"
"Under my leadership we were able to convince Treasury to give us 7 billion which has been utilized to keep the country safe," the nominee said.
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