President Kibaki gave the probe team 10 days to report back their findings/FILE
The President directed the Inspector General and Police Service Commission to immediately commence the probe saying the security of the country should not be compromised.
President Kibaki’s directive came a few hours after Rift Valley police chief John M’Mbijiwe admitted that Joshua Waiganjo was a police reservist with rank of assistant commissioner of police.
Head of Civil Service Francis Kimemia who communicated the President’s directive described the incident as a grave concern to the government and stressed that no cover-ups or blame games will be tolerated.
He said the team will probe the circumstances under which Waiganjo began impersonating a senior officer, how he was paid and the chain of command during the period.
“We are going to investigate what meetings and events he attended, the equipment and resources he used and also whether he sacked and/or abused families of officers,” Kimemia further said in a statement.
The Head of Civil Service said that an audit will be conducted on the entire police force to determine the weak link in the fiasco.
“We are also going to conduct a wider audit into the magnitude of the scandal, acts of commission or omission, unethicalities, and complicity within and beyond the police, among others,” he added.
He indicated that stern action including prosecution will be taken against those culpable.
The inquiry team has 10 days within which to submit its report. The team is expected to kick off the investigations on Monday.
The National Police Service Commission chairman Johnstone Kavuludi said the commission will meet Monday to deliberate on the issue.
And Inspector General David Kimaiyo also said he has already put a team in place and they have begun their probe.
The Police force has admitted that Waiganjo is actually a police reservist in the rank of assistant police commissioner.
In a statement, Rift Valley Provincial Police Officer John M’Mbijiwe explained Waiganjo was recruited in 2002.
He said that when he assumed office in Rift Valley, Waiganjo was introduced to him as the Head of the Kenya Police Reservists Services in Rift Valley.
He further admitted that Waiganjo accompanied senior police officers to Baragoi but in his capacity as a police reservist.
However he said Waiganjo was completely out of order to sack any police officers.
M’Mbijiwe maintained that any police officers involved in such criminal activities will face the full force of the law as per the police service.
Meanwhile, former Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere has denied appointing Waiganjo.
In a statement he said he came to know him after the Baragoi operation.
“I have never appointed him and I came to hear of him after the Baragoi operation. The truth will be known,” he said.
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