Cotu rejects team to vet top police officers

Photo/FILE Central Organisation of Trade Unions secretary-general Francis Atwoli said workers, including police officers, need representation on the panel to avoid issues of victimisation and revenge.

By ABIUD OCHIENG’ aochieng@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, June 5 2011 at 22:30

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions has raised its concerns over the vetting of top police officers that begins on Monday.

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Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli took issue with the composition of the vetting panel. He said on Sunday that it lacked representation from the umbrella workers’ union.

Mr Atwoli said Cotu wants the Ministry of Internal Security to postpone the vetting to give room for the panel to be reconstituted, to guarantee fairness and justice.

“Cotu is calling upon the government through the Ministry of Internal Security, whose minister we have already addressed our concerns through our letter dated 5 June, 2011, to put the exercise to a halt and re-constitute the vetting panel.

“If this is not done, the exercise is likely to be perceived to have been conducted by the government with a view to get rid of certain officers within the police force,” Mr Atwoli said.

The Cotu boss said workers, including police officers, need representation on the panel to avoid issues of victimisation and revenge.

“The vetting panel cannot guarantee the targeted group of police officers fairness as most of the institutions and organisations sitting in the panel have, in most instances, described the force as incompetent, corrupt and ailing,” he said.

Mr Atwoli added that such previous views put the panel’s impartiality to question.

Industrial relations

The Cotu boss also said that the panel requires a composition of stakeholders with knowledge of industrial relations practice.

“We strongly feel it would have been appropriate for Cotu to be part of this team so that officers laid off appreciate that indeed the panel was justified to take such an action,” he said.

Police commissioner Mathew Iteere has said senior police officers who will not be cleared by the vetting team will have to quit.

The vetting starts on Monday throughout the country and targets about 2,000 officers in the rank of Superintendent and above.