{UAH} Pojim/WBK: Now spotlight shifts to top police chiefs - News - nation.co.ke
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Now spotlight shifts to top police chiefs - News
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Top police chiefs are on the spot over their reactions to warnings about an impending attack on a university days before the Thursday massacre in Garissa.
A senior security officer privy to inter-agency operations said the top command had received what is known in security circles as "actionable intelligence". This means the information had been analysed and the threat found to be real.
The National Intelligence Service collects such information and police are the principal recipients.
Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet and his deputy, Ms Grace Kaindi, are at the helm of the police service.
On Monday, the Nation asked Mr Boinnet if the police had been forewarned and if any countermeasures were put in place. He promised to respond "later," but had not done so by the time of going to press.
The Nation established four officers were deployed to Garissa University College after commanders in Garissa consulted police headquarters in Nairobi.
The NIS had informed the police that the medical training college, sub-county headquarters, an unspecified hotel and another public institution were being targeted by the terrorists.
The police have also been criticised for deploying elite units many hours after the attack. On Sunday night, Mr Boinnet confirmed that the Recce officers, who are highly trained in hostage situations, arrived in Garissa eight hours and 25 minutes after the terrorists struck.
"Recce personnel in the GSU were mobilised and placed on standby. They were then flown to Garissa. On arrival at 1.55pm, the team received a brief of the situation from the IG, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and the county security team after which the principal of the university took them through the map of the area," he said.
The Nation established the team left Wilson Airport in Nairobi at 12.30pm, seven hours after the attack began.
The alarm went off at the Recce headquarters in Ruiru at 6am, and the commandos were placed on standby.
"After the briefing, there was a tactical changeover. The KDF, NPS and other security agencies on the scene withdrew to take charge of the external security while the Recce team went in. By 5.01pm the Recce had taken over the ground floor of the building where hostages were being held. By 7.20pm the siege was over," Mr Boinnet said.
According to the IG, this was a quick response.
"I've given the information to dispel the notion that the NPS failed to act in time," the statement added.
However, critics and security analysts say the commandos should have been in Garissa by 8am. Mr Boinnet and Mr Nkaissery arrived in the town at 10am.
While the IG is the overall commander, the formations that were heavily relied on in eliminating the terrorists, including the GSU and the Police Airwing, are under Ms Kaindi's docket.
The other deputy, Mr Samuel Arachi, commands a smaller Administration Police force, which has less personnel and equipment.
Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro commands the semi-autonomous wing, which is supposed to penetrate and gather intelligence on criminal groups.
Airwing Commandant Rogers Mbithi and his GSU counterpart, Mr Joel Kitili, report directly to Ms Kaindi. The county commander and the North Eastern regional chief similarly report to Ms Kaindi.
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