Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has dismissed CS Fred Matiang’i’s submission to Parliament that DP William Ruto has over 257 police officers guarding him daily.
Speaking outside the parliament buildings, Cherargei, an ally of DP Ruto, termed Matiang’i’s submissions as political. He said that his revelations were only meant for selfish political gains.
“The comments were political, cosmetic and they were somehow playing to the gallery,” Cherargei said.
He further said that he is still pushing for the Senate to be recalled so that DP Ruto’s security issue could be discussed.
The senate is currently on a one month break and is set resume plenary sessions on Tuesday, however a special sitting could be convened if the majority or minority leader can petition the speaker to gazette a special sitting following a bid from 15 senators.
So far Cherargei has the support of 16 senators to reconvene the house so that Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai could be summoned and shed more light about the security changes in Ruto’s residences.
The lawmaker has already forwarded his petition to the majority leader Samuel Poghisio.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s committee on Wednesday CS Matiang’i said that the DP is being protected by 257 police officers.
“Cumulatively, the strength of personnel allocated to the DP is 257 officers. The number could even be more,” Matiang’i said.
Matiang’i also said that since independence, Ruto is the only deputy president who has ever been highly guarded.
“We have provided sufficient security to the holder of the office of the Deputy President of Kenya,” he added.
He went ahead to defend the move to withdraw elite GSU officers from the DP’s residences saying that his homes were not state lodges or state house .The law says that it is only the State Lodges and the State House that are supposed to be protected by the GSU.
“Give me a law that equates the residence of the Deputy President to State House or a State Lodge. Give it to me now and I will gazette it tomorrow,” Matiang’i said.
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