Kenyans are still in shock following the set of contradictory moves by Police IG Koome regarding retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s security. On Thursday, the former head of state’s security was drastically scaled down in a move Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome explained was meant to streamline operations in the National Police Service (NPS).
According to Koome, until recently, the security team of Uhuru was still being led by an officer in the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police, who is ideally in charge of the entire Presidential Escort Unit, an excuse which he said justified the reduction of security for Kenya’s only living retired head of state.
The move beats all logic as the new number of officers assigned to guard Rtd President Uhuru is less than half of what late retired presidents Moi and Kibaki enjoyed in their retirement.
Kenyans are reading mischief into the unceremonious scaling down of Uhuru’s detail especially now that he is the AU-Kenya Peace Envoy and Facilitator of the EAC-Led Nairobi Peace Process to bring peace to the volatile DRC region. Shouldn’t his security be beefed up? Instead, it is being scaled down!
It is the first time that a retired head of state has had their personal security reduced without prior notice. It is said that Uhuru’s detail was reduced to half of what those before him had.
Others are wondering if there is a sinister plot to harm the former head of state who openly differed with his then deputy and now sitting President William Ruto.
When Dr Ruto took over the reigns of power, he insisted that he would not go after those who mistreated him and his allies during the electioneering period, including his former boss who did not back his State House bid.
Is this a sinister payback plot to expose the retired president to danger, or is it a way to plant spies in his personal security detail?
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