Kajiado MP Joseph Nkaissery has urged Kenyans to take collective responsibility for security besides having confidence in his ability to run the Interior ministry.
President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Nkaissery as the new Interior CS after he sacked Joseph ole Lenku on December 2.
“Nkaisery is not the panacea of security. I’m not the solution. Its a collective responsibility for all Kenyans,” the retired major general said on Thursday.
He was speaking before the Parliamentary committee on security chaired by Tiaty MP Asman Kamama.
Nkaissery told the committee that his first priority, after the National Assembly approves his nomination, will be to take stock of the state of security so as to work from a point of being fully informed.
“I will first take stock, look at capacity and capability, then develop my strategy. I am not sure whether our security forces have enough equipment to tackle insecurity. I am aware that corruption exists,” Nkaissery said when asked what his short term approach to the insecurity issue would be.
He said he will deal firmly with corruption within the security forces once the perpetrators are identified.
“I will personally enforce the law on corrupt individuals immediately we know who they are. We will repossess your property if we find that you used corruption to enrich yourself. That will be my policy,” he said.
Nkaissery was also grilled on the role of the army in a disarmament exercise in Pokot in 1994 where communities were in conflict over cattle.
“It is true we took cattle belonging to the Pokots and gave them to police for safe keeping. The Pokot community was given one month notice to surrender illegal arms in their possession,” he told the committee.
He said the role of the army was limited to assisting the police in restoring calm.
Nkaissery distanced himself from a question alleging the communal inheritance of the Interior CS post. His predecessor, Lenku, is also a Maasai.
“We are not going to recycle positions on communities. We just need someone who can do the job and deliver,” he responded.
He faulted the media for reporting on the vulnerability of security organs.
– the-star.co.ke
