•The GSU officers were withdrawn from the DP's home on August 26.
•Unlike their GSU counterparts, the administration police are not ordinarily trained on VVIP protection.
Image: Image: DPPS
Two Kenyans have moved to court suing the state over the withdrawal of GSU officers guarding Deputy President William Ruto.
They want the immediate restoration of the General Service Unit officers to continue guarding the DP.
Miruru Waweru and Angela Mwikali said the move is against the Constitution and meant to compromise the DP's security.
They said this will also hamper Ruto’s performance of his constitutional duties and obligations to the detriment of the Kenyan public.
The GSU officers were withdrawn from the DP's home on August 26.
The duo further asked the court to issue an order restraining police from disrupting, dispersing, or in any way interfering with assemblies, gatherings, meetings or any functions (public or private) organised and or attended by the Deputy President.
The two based their suit on grounds that Ruto is the Deputy President.
Throughout his tenure, he has been guarded by a minimum of 79 police officers.
They are drawn from the elite G-company of the GSU at his official and private offices and residences under Chapter 8 Section 5 (e) of the National Police Service Standing Orders made under Section 128 of the National Police Service Act, Cap 84.
However, Mutyambai withdrew all GSU officers at the official or private offices and residences of the Deputy President and replaced them with 31 officers from the Administration Police Service.
They are on 12-hour changing shifts, unlike the elite GSU who had been camping at the DP’s residences.
The two also believe that this is a continuation of several acts and omissions undertaken by Mutyambai to compromise Ruto’s security.
They listed occasions when the police failed to take action for example an incident at the Sugoi residence of the Deputy President on July 29 2017 when a gunman raided the residence, killed an officer.
They claimed that on January 8 last year, the DP was locked out of his official residence in Mombasa by police officers.
On September 10 the same year, the duo said, police refused and failed to maintain order upon eruption of chaos before a function attended by the DP in Kisii.
October 4 2020 the IG instructed armed police officers to violently stop the DP from attending a church service in Murang’a, the two said.
As a result, they told the court that they are apprehensive that the illegal actions of the state are politically instigated and meant to create a state of fear in the build-up to the general elections scheduled for August 2022.
“Further, the impugned decision was made with a lack of consideration of the fundamental freedoms and rights not only of the DP but also those of Kenyans since a lapse of Ruto’s security has the ability to threaten national peace and order,” read the suit papers in part.
“It can also bring shame, ridicule and dishonour to the office of National Executive comprising of the President, the Deputy President and the Cabinet.”
They also said the move has attracted public outcry and created unnecessary tension and anxiety amongst the citizenry.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris