The withdrawal of elite police guarding Deputy President William Ruto and his residences has sparked fears among Kenyans.
Six prison warders who were offering driving services in the office of the DP were also recalled. The government also reduce the number of guards from 79 GSU to 31 APs.
Ruto’s director of communication Emmanuel Talam confirmed the armed drivers had been given until Monday next week to stop their services.
“We have written to the IG and the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua to protest the action. The office of the DP is seeking an explanation from the two offices because these actions we see are unjustifiable.”
In less than 24 hours after the Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai withdrew the General Service Unit guarding both the official and private residences of the DP, more questions than answers have emerged.
Why were the officers providing the DP and his residences security for the last nine years recalled without prior information? Why the changes on only Ruto and his family?
The DP’s supporters have also wondered why the state decided to deploy officers who are not trained on VVIP protection to guard the Deputy President and whether the National security Committee sanctioned the abrupt changes.
The first shift will be reporting to duty at 6 am in the morning and hands over after lowering the flag at 6 pm. Unlike the 32 GSU residing within the Karen official residence, the 20 APs who took over on Thursday will only be dropped every morning and picked in the evening as another team takes over.
With the APs not camping within the compound, there are fears that this could compromise the security of the second family.
Apart from the 20 APs guarding the official residence, it is reported that only four have been deployed to guard the private residence down from 10, while the upcountry homes are protected by three APs, each down from 28 and 10, respectively.
On Friday, police spokesman Bruno Shioso refused to discuss details of the changes in the security of the DP, saying it is a security issue.
“Refer to our earlier statement on this subject. It is detailed. We can’t discuss the DP security in detail, including what you want to know because it is a security issue,” Shioso said. He added the IG is content the security of the DP is excellent and stable.
Of the 79 GSU, 12 of the dreaded red berets have backed up their counterparts from the Presidential Escort Unit, especially in field functions, especially in areas perceived could turn hostile.
The move to downgrade the security detail of the second in command, which has been seen as the wider scheme by Uhuru and his handlers to cut Ruto into size ahead of the 2022 General Election has sparked outrage across the country.
The matter is also said to have attracted the attention of the international community, which is reportedly worried about state-instigated violence in the build-up to the elections.
Nandi Governor Stephen Sang said the withdrawal was unlawful, adding that security officers attached to the presidency were stipulated in the constitution, and what was happening was politically instigated.
Speaking at his Kapsabet offices on Friday, Sang asked the “hustlers nation” to restrain themselves from falling into the “snares and traps of the deep state” out to create a situation that depicts them negatively.
He said those behind the withdrawal were out to create tension in the country to achieve their selfish interests. “People of the Rift Valley have chosen the path of peace; 2007/08 PEV was an experience we don’t want to revisit,” Sang said.
He said the President and his deputy should accept and live to the end of their term to August 9, 2022 and that none should resign.
Sang, who was accompanied by his deputy Yulita Cheruiyot said no life should be lost due to political competition. He said Ruto had been humiliated in worse situations than just the withdrawal of his guards.
The governor said those behind the DP’s troubles had resorted to asking the GSU officers to leave after Ruto remained firm that he would not resign or give in to pressure.
“Now they cannot push him out. They have resorted to the sideshows you saw, and the deputy president has been humiliated more than what Kenyans saw,” Sang added.
Central Organisation Trade Union secretary general Francis Atwoli also joined other leaders who have come to fault the state for withdrawing the guards.
Atwoli, who does not see eye-to-eye with the DP politically, during an interview with Citizen TV on Friday, said the government should not compromise Ruto’s security.
“If they were to change that security, they would have done it with the knowledge of our deputy president because we don’t want these lame excuses being blamed on the government because of the security,” he said.
