Peter Elaini Eregae and Jonathan Koskei are seeking orders to quash the commission’s verdict on grounds that there was no complaint raised by any member of the public other than the panel/FILE
Peter Elaini Eregae and Jonathan Koskei are seeking orders to quash the commission’s verdict on grounds that there was no complaint raised by any member of the public other than the panel, which they say had formulated allegations against them.
The embattled officers on Wednesday argued that the vetting process was conducted in violation of their constitutional rights since there was no quorum, saying that the commission instead invited strangers who sat in the panel contrary to the provisions of the law.
They told Justice George Odunga, through their lawyer Alloys Kwengu, that the commission acted in bad faith.
The court has since allowed them to file judicial review proceedings to prohibit the commission from terminating their employment.
The application will be heard on March 29 to determine whether the vetting panel’s decision will hold.
It all started on January 3 when the Johnstone Kavuludi-led commission announced that it had retired three senior deputy commissioners in the first batch of the vetting process of seven senior police officers who were vetted on December 17 and 18, 2013.
Eregae, Francis Omondi Okonya and Koskei were found incompetent and unsuitable to continue serving as police officers.
Kavuludi had announced that John Ochieng Owino, William Atswenje Saiya, Peter Kilonzo Kavila and Omar Shurie Abdi were found to be competent and suitable to continue serving as police officers.
“The main objective of vetting is to reclaim public confidence in the Police Service to enable the officers who have been cleared during the vetting process with pride, confidence and renewed vigour,” Kavuludi said.
Among key issues being looked into during the exercise was professional conduct and discipline, integrity and financial probity and respect for human rights.
After the vetting interviews the panel retreated to analyse the information gathered during the grilling and from investigators.
During the vetting process, Eregae was the first officer to be vetted and faced a hard time explaining how he acquired a parcel of land in Isiolo.
In response, Eregae said the land was allocated to him as family inheritance and stressed that he had no other sources of income except his salary.
“I was born in Isiolo, so that is the land I have known since I was born… the land that has been ours in the family for as long as I can remember,” he stated.
“All I was getting as a police officer went to savings.”
He also revealed the circumstances under which he was moved to the Ministry of Local Government at one point in his career.
“The circumstances that led to my movement to the Ministry of Local Government were that there was some re-shuffle within the police service and I was given a letter to report to the Ministry of Local Government. So I reported to the ministry within an hour of receiving that document,” he stated.
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