Interior PS Karanja Kibicho yesterday warned politicians against engaging in violence, saying they risk arrest and prosecution.
He said anyone inciting Kenyans or planning chaos will be dealt with accordingly.
“Don’t spare anyone irrespective of their rank, position or political affiliation,” Kibicho told senior police commanders in a Nairobi hotel.
Deputy IG Joel Kitili told the police commanders to deal with corruption in the Traffic police and stations. He told them to internally discipline their juniors implicated in corruption, as arrest and prosecution have proved ineffective in dealing with the probem.
Kitili said many police officers charged in court with corruption
find their way back into office after they are acquitted.
He said such officers rely on court orders that stop their bosses from taking further disciplinary action against them, thereby frustrating efforts to fight corruption in the police service.
Kibicho urged police officers to deal firmly with criminals and ignore threats by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.
He said institutions such as Ipoa are frustrating police work and the Interior ministry will not allow them to continue intimidating police officers. There has been mounting public outcry against what civil society has termed extrajudicial killings.
“We are not apologetic,” Kibicho said, referring to Ipoa’s threats to deal with police officers who shoot criminals, instead of arresting them.
He said many a time, Ipoa and other institutions condemn police officers on flimsy grounds, but, at the same time, expect them to work diligently.
“We will not allow police officers to work under intimidation,” Kibicho said.
In April, 19 counties were identified as possible election violence hot spots in 2017. An internal report at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission termed the mapped counties as “problematic and require close monitoring,” failing which there could be
instability. But the Commission now says almost every county is a violence hot spot. Chairman Francis ole Kaparo said the NCIC “is doing a lot more to ensure no violence rocks the 2017 general election.”