Kibuchi denies insulting police coporal

THURSDAY, 26 APRIL 2012 15:47 BY STAR TEAM

Nairobi PPO Anthony Kibuchi during a road safety awareness along Thika Road yesterday. Photo/Monicah Mwangi

NAIROBI Police chief Anthony Kibuchi has denied that he call a junior traffic cop "Kubafu mjinga" (useless idiot) . Corporal Hussein Mohammed of Kasarani police station was manning traffic on Kamiti road yesterday morning.

The police chief, wearing civilian clothes and driving Toyota Corolla KAH 937T, stopped next to the officers. Hussein approached the car driver not knowing that the driver was Kibuchi.

Hussein said he asked him if he could help as he looked stranded. ''You don't know me. Who is in charge here?,'' asked Kibuchi. Kibuchi told the Star yesterday that he had seen Hussein receiving bribes. Kibuchi then telephoned a senior traffic officer and directed him to transfer Hussein out of Nairobi in the next hour.  Corporal Hussein was in the company of two other traffic officers whom Kibuchi said were not under investigation.

 A female officer who was in charge said Kibuchi asked for the corporal's name before ordering his transfer. A Star journalist witnessed the drama on Kamiti road yesterday at around 9am. Kibuchi then ordered that the three traffic officers to relocate to Githurai 44 estate to control traffic.

Yesterday, Kibuchi said he is a senior officer who has worked for 40 years and never used abusive language with juniors. He is said to be on leave pending retirement. He has been working on contract after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 55 years in 2007. He said that he had instructed Nairobi area traffic  commandant Patrick Lumumba and traffic commandant Joseph Ole Tito to take action against Hussein.

Kibuchi was traveling from his rural home in Kirinyaga to Gilgil through Kamiti road when he allegedly witnessed the officer taking bribes from motorists. “As a senior officer I am entitled to take action against any officer whom I find misbehaving," he said. “I found the officer taking a bribe with impunity and that is why I directed the traffic boss to take action,” Kibuchi told the Star on phone yesterday. ''What are you doing here? Go to Githurai. Hapa hakuna kazi (there is no work here).”

Corporal Hussein wept as he asked the police chief, ''Sasa makosa yangu ni gani? (now what is my mistake?)''  Kibuchi was recently  captured on camera dismissing a court order as "karatasi ya choo (toilet paper)" . Lawyer Paul Muite said Kibuchi who should be disciplined for using abusive language .