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Ipara defends his record in farewell party

He credited himself for restoring peace in Old Town, Majengo, Likoni and Kisauni areas

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by ANDREW KASUKU

Realtime23 August 2019 - 11:40
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In Summary


• In his reign, spanning one year and 10 months, Ipara said that 88 heroin traffickers were arrested, 39823 sachets and 17 kilograms recovered.

• Three cocaine traffickers were arrested, 25 sachets and 925 grams recovered while 439 bhang peddlers were arrested and 4693 rolls and 75 kilograms recovered during the same period.

Outgoing Mombasa Police Commander Johnstone Ipara

Outgoing Mombasa police boss Johnstone Ipara has defended his track record amidst criticism of corruption and runaway gang violence in the county.

During his farewell party on Thursday evening, attended by business community and security personnel, Ipara said that despite the Bamburi attack that injured 13 people and prompted drugs crackdown, he has performed well.

He credited himself for restoring peace in Old Town, Majengo, Likoni and Kisauni areas and reformation of hardcore criminals like ‘Kayuni’ and ‘Prezzo’.

 
 

 “Before the attack we had lived for six months in peace. When the gangs came with a ball, I was the goalkeeper and they scored. Can you say the goalkeeper is bad while he has saved many goals before?” he said in his speech adding that the attack was a mistake of all security stakeholders.

In his time spanning one year and 10 months, Ipara said that 88 heroin traffickers were arrested, 39,823 sachets and 17 kilogrammes recovered.

Three cocaine traffickers were arrested, 25 sachets and 925 grams recovered while 439 bhang peddlers were arrested and 4,693 rolls and 75 kilogrammes recovered during the same period.

But human rights groups criticised Ipara’s self-accolades saying that in his time, drug barons thrived in their business with many people losing their lives to gangs.

“If there are allegations of corruption and drug dealing against any police officer, they should be sacked not transferred. We have facts that he has been defending his junior officers ho have been killing youths,” Muhuri's response officer Francis Auma said yesterday.

Auma urged the incoming police boss to consider dialogue with communities to end the ever-mushrooming youth gangs in Likoni and Kisauni.

According to Muhuri, 24 people were killed by gangs and police officers and 10 other people have disappeared in mid 2017.

 
 

Incoming county police boss Augustine Nthumbi called for support in war on machete-wielding gangs and drugs operatives in the county.

“If the security fails, it will not be because of on person, it will be all of us who failed in our mandate,” he said in his maiden speech.

Other top cops who have been moved in war on drugs include Coast police boss Marcus Ocholla who was taken to Western and County Commissioner Evans Achoki who was moved to Marsabit.


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