IG Boinnet defends hiring of reservists

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet yesterday revealed that the government has recruited 11,000 police reservists.

In a press statement yesterday, Boinnet said the recruitment of police reservists who operate in North Eastern and Rift Valley region was not linked to politics.

Boinnet was reacting to a story published in the Star yesterday . The story raised alarm, both in police echelons and Rift Valley, where majority of the reservists are based after 350 guns that were meant for use by the reservists were intercepted in Nakuru.

The guns were intercepted following orders by DIG incharge of Kenya police, Edward Mbugua on New Year's eve.

The statement was issued by police spokesman Owino Waho'ngo.

The police chief did not address issues raised in the story that the arming of the police reservist was going on despite an order by the Interior Ministry to stop registration of police reservist and the issuance of weapons.

Highly placed sources told the Star , the Interior ministry through official Amos Gathecha had directed the police to stop the recruitment of reservists until an audit of their numbers , their stations and guns issued to them is concluded.

The IG did not also address the issue of why the weapons in Nakuru had been detained even as he insisted that the police were not engaged arming the reservists secretary.