State: William Ruto launch of Lanet Police Station was not done in right way
Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya.
The commissioning of Lanet Police Station by Deputy President William Ruto was non procedural and was done without involving security chiefs from the region, the government has said.
Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya yesterday waded into the controversy surrounding the commissioning of the facility, saying, it was shambolic and political.
“We have launched investigations to establish who brought down the plaque bearing Deputy President William Ruto’s name. However, I must make it clear that the commissioning was non procedural and no regional security chiefs were involved,” said the administrator.
“When opening such a facility, it is first handed over to the Inspector General of Police and gazetted before it is used. You also must involve relevant security bosses in the region. This wasn’t done. Instead, it was done for political gain and without proper procedure,” Mr Natembeya said.
Natembeya said the launch will now be done afresh before police officers begin using the station.
“Since the [station] was [built] using government money, we will ensure it is properly commissioned before officers begin using it,” he said.
Government-funded projects
Mr Natembeya yesterday warned politicians against using government-funded projects to gain political mileage. This comes a day after Dr Ruto’s allies claimed that local administrators, working under orders by senior government officials, on Saturday brought down a plaque at the new police station bearing the DP’s name and defaced the new building.
The new station building was built using money from National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) under the patronage of Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri.
The MP is building five other police stations. Dr Ruto launched the station in the company of Mr Ngunjiri and a host of local leaders, including Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika. However, moments after the DP had left the venue unidentified men came and brought down the plaque and painted black a wall that had NG-CDF branding. The act has received huge condemnation from the DP’s allies. Mr Njunjiri on Sunday termed the act immature, retrogressive and barbaric.
Vandalise Lanet Police Station
“For the police to be manipulated to vandalise Lanet Police Station after launching it with the DP truly shows how immature some of us are. According to the CDF Act, all laws were followed and even the branding done as per the Act,” he said.
The sentiments were echoed by Mr Dennis Itumbi, the DP’s digital strategist, who claimed that Nakuru County Commissioner Erastus Mbui was the one who ordered the plaque to be brought down. However, Mr Mbui distanced himself from the incident, saying, “I have no powers over the police.”
The administrator said he will not allow himself to be dragged into political matters.
“I have neither gone to the station nor instructed anyone to destroy the plaque. I am a civil servant and cannot engage in political exchanges,” he said.
