NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1 – The office of the Deputy President has dismissed as falsehoods the statement made by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi when he appeared before a Parliamentary committee on security regarding the withdrawal of General Service Unit (GSU) officers from his residences.
Through his Spokesman David Mugonyi, Ruto said Matiangi misled the MPs when he claimed that the Deputy President’s residences are not gazetted as State lodges and therefore do not qualify for GSU protection.
Ruto said he was elected to office in 2013 and his residences have always had GSU deployment for security.
“When he assumed the office in 2013, the National Security Council had already established a security model for the Presidency and constitutional offices. Any change to the arrangement would have been discussed and formally approved at the appropriate level,” Mugonyi said in a rejoinder hours after Matiangi appeared before the MPs team where he was summoned to explain why GSU’s were replaced with AP’s at the DP’s Nairobi and Sugoi residences.
Matiangi told the MPs that Ruto has 257 police officers deployed to guard him at his residence and across the country on his properties which he frequently visits.
Matiangi told the MPs committee that the GSU officers “were not withdrawn” describing the move as a “security rearrangement.”
He also said that when GSU were recalled, Ruto retained his close protection unit comprised of Presidential Escort Unit with a total of 74 officers.
“The Ministry categorically refutes the allegations and regards them as irresponsible and misleading,” the CS submitted before the National Assembly departmental committee on National Administration and Security.
He said the second layer of security comprising of GSU was changed to Administration Police after consultations among national security agencies.
Matiangi said a total of 257 officers guard installations of interest to the Deputy President including a hanger at Wilson airport and his farms.
He said Ruto’s security detail which has three layers, the first layer compromises of 74 Presidential Escort Unit (PEU) officers, 5 General Service Unit (GSU) officers and 6 Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers.
While Ruto’s Spokesman did not dispute the numbers, he said Matiangi lied about the ownership of some of the properties attributed to the DP which he described as “strange.”
He said Matiangi’s sentiments were meant to “ridicule and humiliate the DPs office.”
Matiangi told the committee that Ruto was by far more protected in comparison to previous Vice Presidents from the time of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga who he revealed only had 30 officers.
Properties listed by Matiangi as owned by Ruto include Weston Hotel which has four officers, Dolphin Hotel in Mombasa which has six officers, Koitalel Poultry Farm in Eldoret which has four officers among others.
“Matiangi asserts that he has deployed security officers to these strange unknown properties. The false association with strange and fictitious properties is therefore unnecessary and malicious,” Mugonyi said.
About The Author
