Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has dismissed as lies claims by Deputy President William Ruto that the government withdrew police reservists in the bandit-prone Kerio Valley ostensibly to punish him.
In a stern statement on Wednesday, the CS said the DP's remarks during the presidential debate were flippant, petty and shameful.
"There has never been a time we have withdrawn national police reservists from North Rift or any part of the country. What happens in the security sector is that reviews are done from time to time depending on the needs of a given area," Matiang'i said.
The CS spoke on Wednesday during the Kenya Prisons Service Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) programme at the Kenya Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru.
Speaking during the debate Tuesday night, Ruto sensationally claimed that the police reservists were withdrawn from the Kerio Valley on grounds that he would use them as militia.
He said he was the one in charge of their deployment in his capacity as member of the National Security Council.
"A very reckless act. With the withdrawal of the national police reserve, the situation went south," he said.
"It was really an unfortunate act, but because it was meant to punish William Ruto, is a real tragedy," he added.
The DP said withdrawal of the reservists led to security deterioration in the counties of Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Pokot and Samburu.
He claimed 150 people have died since beginning of the year as a result.
But Matiang'i rubbished the claims saying all the DP needed was to ask to be debriefed on the true situation about the matter.
He said the periodic reviews on the transfer of the reservists is occasionally done in consultation with local leaders in the affected areas.
"In some areas, wananchi themselves and their leaders tell you we need a deployment of police reservists. We don't provide security because of an individual," Matiang'i said, adding that it's government's constitutional responsibility to provide security to its citizens.
The CS said if the DP were performing his roles effectively and attended security meetings, he would have been debriefed on the true picture on the ground.
"Instead of going to embarrass themselves in that manner where you know you say things that don't exist," Matiang'i said.
