Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Nairobi: Report Faults Govt Departments

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Nairobi: Report Faults Govt Departments

    REPORT FAULTS GOVT DEPARTMENTS
    By Standard Reporters

    Standard, Kenya
    Aug. 31, 2006

    The Kiruki Commission report exposes incompetence in some key
    Government departments.

    The Commission criticises the Immigration for the way it handled the
    Artur brothers' applications to do business in the country.

    Sources say the committee made several recommendations, including
    overhauling the department, which is accused of giving leeway to
    criminals to enter the country and do business.

    It also notes several irregularities in the deportation of Artur
    Margaryan Artur Sargasyan, and their two Tanzanian accomplices.

    Prohibited immigrants

    The report notes that the Arturs could still return to Kenya because
    their passports were never stamped to indicate they had been deported.

    When applying for entry permits, the Arturs did not give all the
    required details in their application forms- such as their photographs
    and addresses.

    Sources say the Commission recommended that before deportations,
    deportees' photographs and fingerprints should be taken.

    Deportees' passports should be stamped "prohibited immigrants" and
    their particulars circulated to Interpol, says the report.

    The report also recommends that Kenyan visas should be upgraded to
    tamper-proof ones. It notes that visas in use are "wet stamp", which
    could be easily produced by criminals.

    Forged documents

    During its public sittings in Nairobi, the Commission was told that
    some foreigners were issued with Kenyan visas on arrival at airports.

    The report recommends that such visas should be issued by
    professionally trained officers in Kenyan missions abroad.

    Also put under the spotlight is the Registrar of Companies department,
    with recommendations that the office overhauls its systems.

    During sittings, the Commission heard that forged documents were used
    to register the two companies associated with the Arturs.

    The office is asked to enforce a requirement to de-register any company
    found to have been fraudulently registered. To protect the public
    from dealing with shadowy firms, regulations on forming companies
    should be published, the report is further quoted.

    Surveillance cameras

    It recommends that the companies' registry be computerised "as a
    matter of urgency". Staff should also be punished for misconduct.

    It further recommends that the area for conducting searches for
    company names be fitted with surveillance cameras.

    It also recommends that the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) scraps the
    office of deputy managing director and re-organises its top management.

    Sources say the commission's report falls short of terming the post
    illegal, adding that it is not recognised by the KAA Act.

    Ms Naomi Cidi held the position before President Kibaki suspended
    her on June 12. The report also terms the position a burden to KAA.

    Procedure for issuing passes

    During its public hearings in July, the commission was told that a
    deputy director held the responsibility of issuing access passes to
    deserving persons.

    It was told that the Arturs and their associates were irregularly
    issued passes to all airports. The pink passes allowed them access
    to aircraft, posing a serious threat to security, especially in the
    wake of the terrorism threat.

    However, Cidi denied the claims at the time insisting that it was
    her boss, Mr George Muhoho, who issued the Arturs with passes.

    In its report, the commission recommends that the procedure for
    issuing passes should be overhauled.

    But the report also urges the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify
    to its protocol officers who should be accorded VIP treatment.

    Managing security

    The commission also recommends that the police force be subjected to
    a management audit.

    It criticises Police Commissioner, Maj-Gen Hussein Ali, for ignoring
    the chain of command. The audit, those privy to the report say,
    should find out whether the leadership structure is up to the task
    of managing security.

    The commission is said to have demanded that redundant structures be
    done away with and the competence of police officers be scrutinised.

    The commission accuses Ali of ignoring his immediate juniors and
    dealing with those at lower ranks, such as the Deputy Provincial
    Criminal Investigation Officer, Mr Isaiah Osugo.

    Ali's decision was allegedly interpreted by the mass media as evidence
    of hostile relations between him and Mr Joseph Kamau, the CID director.

    Interpol section

    Another concern raised by the report was that information received on
    activities of the Armenian brothers from Interpol in Yerevan, Armenia,
    was never shared among different formations of the police force.

    The report recommends that the Kenya Police Interpol section be
    overhauled.

    The commission was, according to those privy to the report, perturbed
    by the lack of commitment among police officers deployed at the
    airport on June 8.

    The commissioners are said to have reported that police officers on
    duty on that day, apart from one CID corporal, failed to assist a
    customs officer who was assaulted by Mr Artur Margaryan.

    The commission is said to have observed that the officers showed a
    lot of lethargy, ineptitude and recklessness.

    Those privy to the report also said that the commission found it
    strange that the Artur brothers were not disarmed when they brandished
    weapons at members of the public.

    The commission is said to have recommended that changes be made in
    the police force.
Working...
X