Garissa attack: Uhuru orders training of 10,000 police recruits in court case

Police recruits during a pass out ceremony at Kiganjo Police Training College, Nyeri. President Kenyatta on April 2, 2015 ordered training of 10,000 youths whose recruitment was stopped by the High Court in 2014 because of bribery. PHOTO | FILE |  NATION MEDIA GROUP.

In Summary

• President Kenyatta blamed the insecurity in the country on a shortage of police officers and directed that the recruits start training immediately.
• The decision is likely to put the Executive on a collision course with the Judiciary, which annulled the recruitment last year.
• The High Court stopped the enrolment on grounds that the July 14, 2014 recruitment was tainted with corruption, irregularities and blatant violation of the Constitution.

By PETER LEFTIE
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President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday ordered 10,000 police recruits whose enrolment was stopped by the courts last year to immediately report to the Police Training College in Kiganjo, Nyeri County.

President Kenyatta blamed the insecurity in the country on a shortage of police officers and directed that the recruits start training immediately.

“I further direct the Inspector-General of Police to take urgent steps and ensure that the 10,000 recruits, whose enrolment is pending, promptly report for training at the Kenya Police College, Kiganjo,” President Kenyatta said in a televised address to the nation in the wake of Thursday’s dawn attack on Garissa University College.

SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS

“I take full responsibility for this directive. We have suffered unnecessarily due to shortage of security personnel. Kenya badly needs additional officers, and I will not keep the nation waiting,” he noted.

The High Court stopped the enrolment on grounds that the July 14, 2014 recruitment was tainted with corruption, irregularities and blatant violation of the Constitution.

“In the instance case, I find and hold that the National Police Service Commission failed itself, it failed Kenyans, it failed the recruits, it failed the Constitution and it must be told so. I am satisfied that drastic action must be taken, painful or unpopular as it may be,” the judge ruled.

The decision is likely to put the Executive on a collision course with the Judiciary, which annulled the recruitment last year.

STUDENTS DEAD

The Kenya Police Service Commission has since appealed the court decision and the matter is still pending in court.

President Kenyatta confirmed that the attack had left several students dead, wounded or taken hostage by the gunmen but said full details of casualties would be released by the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and the Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet, who were coordinating the manhunt for the attackers.

He assured that adequate security officers had been deployed to the university college to fight the terrorists but called on Kenyans to volunteer any information they may have in connection with any security threats.

“This is a moment for everyone throughout the country to be vigilant as we continue to confront and defeat our enemies,” he stated.