From: Dickens Wasonga
By Our Reporter.
An Administration police corporal who was recently evicted from a Kisumu AP line to create room for one of his bosses in the rank of an inspector to occupy his house, has allegedly been charged within the force laws.
The officer ,according to his colleagues, was summoned immediately the story was carried by this weekly newspaper and faced a panel constituted specifically to try him over what his seniors described as a show of indiscipline and in-subordination to the top cops.
His colleagues who spoke to this writer registered their disappointment with the manner in which the senior officers have handled the matter involving their junior comrade.
Shocked by the action taken against the corporal,the APs wondered why an officer could be disciplined over claims that he disobeyed instructions from his seniors and that he failed to move out of the house he has all the right to occupy.
The disappointed junior officers insisted that their colleague was treated unfairly and victimized because of the story adding that an officer of the rank of an inspector should not be allowed to reside within the lines.
”Our bosses are not denying the fact that the said inspectors are living in the lines meant for junior officers but have strangely decided to lock out the officers out of what is rightfully withing their rights.Instead of admitting that indeed there was a mistake, and see how to correct it,they have made it worse by taking action against the very officer who is aggrieved.This simply does not make sense”. said the officer.
While doing a follow up of the story,a senior DO attached to Kisumu East district said he was not aware of any disciplinary action taken against the corporal but tried to explain that the eight inspectors moved in to occupy the houses at the lines during the post election skirmishes.
”They moved in because some police officers living within the estates in the town were being targeted at the height of the post poll chaos but the stay was supposed to temporary.I do not really understand why they have not yet moved out of the lines because there is no violence now” said the DO.
Before the story was ran by this weekly newspaper,the Nyanza AP boss confirmed that it was true he had received a phone call from the officer who was allegedly being thrown out of the house and he promised to ensure the inspectors do not continue to occupy the houses.
During the alleged eviction which was led by senior administration police officers from Kisumu East district headquarters,the corporal’s household goods were allegedly rained on.
Ordinarily one would expect that the senior officers would face facts and move out honorably from the AP line because they receive allowances that enables them to rent houses outside the lines.
But contrary to that expectation,a decision was allegedly reached where the panelists, composed by two chief inspectors acting as prosecuting witnesses, found the aggrieved officer guilty of two counts.
He was allegedly accused of being indiscipline and in subordination,charges that have now reportedly been entered in his official file.
According to those who are well versed with the police procedures,these kind of charges goes along way to destroy the reputation of the officers serving in the force and can stop them from consideration for future promotions.
Emerging details indicated that one of the senior officers who had been moved to Kadibo division had since vacated the AP line houses following our story in the last weeks edition.
However others who were also said to be residing at the lines were yet to move out even though it was now very clear that their continued stay within the lines is unacceptable and was causing discontent.
Our story highlighted the housing problem facing junior AP officers living within Shauri-moyo and the Railway lines in Kisumu.
The officers were reportedly forced to share single rooms even where an officer is married and have children thereby compromising privacy.
ENDS.