Garissa Township MP Aden Duale has blamed Kondele violence on the withdrawal of elite General Service Officers from Deputy President William Ruto’s security team.
While appearing on Citizen TV on Wednesday, November 10, the former National Assembly Majority leader urged Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai to guarantee the deputy president of his security ahead of the 2022 elections.
“I think the Inspector General of police needs to speak to the people of Kenya on the safety and security of the Deputy President. It is not a small matter,” Aden Duale said.
Duale made the remarks just hours after the deputy president was forced to cut short his speech after rowdy youths in Kondele, Kisumu County pelted his motorcade with stones.
William Ruto who was on his second visit to the lakeside city met a hostile reception after a fracas broke out at the Kondele roundabout as the deputy president’s convoy made its way into the grounds.
It has since emerged the DP had been adequately briefed and was warned against going to the area by police officers who had intelligence of impending violence.
Police spokesperson Bruno Shioso said in a statement that there was tension within the Kondele area, owing to the alleged distribution of campaign logistical funds among local groups.
“This intelligence was promptly shared by police officers to Deputy President William Ruto’s team with a recommendation to skip the rally,” Shioso said.
In August 2021, officers from the General Service G-Company unit that form part of the Presidential security were withdrawn from the Deputy President’s official residence in Karen and replaced by the Administration Officers drawn from the Security of Government Buildings Unit.
Apart from replacement, the Ministry of Interior reduced the number of elite police guarding William Ruto from 79 GSU to 31 APs.
While defending the move Interior CS Fred Matiang’i said Ruto had reassigned the elite GSU attached to him to undertake non-core functions that had nothing to do with his official duties.
