CID BOSS DEAD

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 9 - CID Director Simon Gatiba Karanja has died after a short illness.

Mr Karanja passed on Saturday last night after falling ill at his Thika home. He has served from Mazingira Complex since 2006 when he was elevated by President Kibaki to replace Joseph Kamau who had retired.

Before his appointment as CID Director, Mr Karanja had served as Coast Provincial Police Chief and had previously headed the Anti Stock Theft Unit.

Mr Karanja who joined the police force in 1974 has also worked as Chief Instructor at the Kiganjo police training college.

He had served for over 30 years in the regular force, but never in CID prior to his appointment.

The office of the CID director fell vacant in June 2006 when Joseph Kamau was suspended following cases among them the Standard Group raid and the chaotic scene of the Armenian brothers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

He was the 13th CID boss since the unit was inaugurated in 1926.