Corridors of Power | The Star, Kenya

DCI officers attached to a popular police station in Kisumu are on the spot for openly abetting crime and stealing from desperate residents who seek their services. The sleuths mandated with tracking lost items, especially mobile phones, charge a mandatory fee of Sh1,000. Shockingly, after a lost phone is tracked and found, they negotiate with the suspects who part with huge amount of money to buy their freedom as the owner of the lost gadget is tossed left right and centre until he/she gives up. Residents claim the trend perfected by "cartel officers" has been going on for years. Moles at the station alleged that the officers behind the racket have overstayed in Kisumu with some even printing fake receipts in collusion with suspects to cover up criminal deals. Residents who spoke to Corridors are wondering if IG Joseph Boinnet and Interior CS Fred Matiang'i are aware of the syndicate of the rogue officers. Activists have threatened to compile the list of officers involved with their force number. Locals now want Boinnet and Matiang'i to intervene and make total overhaul at the department.

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DID the handlers of Deputy President William Ruto deliberately fail to schedule for him to open a dormitory of a girls' school in Kericho county, Buret subcounty? The DP was in Buret constituency to attend a church fundraiser, but it seems the school management had also planned to have the DP visit their school. In fact, according to our source in the county, the students were delayed from proceeding to half term break and they had even practiced songs to entertain the DP. Maybe Ruto should plan and visit the school to save the girls the embarrassment.

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THE defence put by Deputy President William Ruto’s allies has left many MPs from his backyard with tongues wagging. The lot, Corridors overheard, is wondering whether the DP’s office has been turned into an investigative agency. The lawmakers say their counterparts seem to know more about the controversial multi-billion-shilling dams that are a subject of an ongoing probe. The group now says they will pile pressure on the said leaders to be compelled to issue statements with the authorities on what they know about the suspected loss of Sh21 billion in the yet-to-kick off projects.

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WITH the exit of former Sports CS Rashid Echesa from the Cabinet, moles have whispered to Corridors that panic has gripped the remaining Cabinet secretaries after President Uhuru Kenyatta indicated that he will fire more. For instance, our mole told us that a woman CS who is believed to have lost favour with State House was for the better part of Friday contemplating resigning before she is unceremoniously bundled out of her current docket.