Kindiki To Remove All Police Roadblocks
Kindiki added that the roadblocks will only be mounted on special requests, especially when seeking to achieve an agenda.
Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki on Thursday, August 24 ordered all police roadblocks across the country to be removed from November 1, 2023.
While appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Security, Kindiki noted that the roadblocks will be replaced by patrol security officers along the highways and major corridors.
He observed that the directive was in line with an earlier directive issued by President William Ruto who lamented that the roadblocks had become havens for corruption.
Kindiki added that the roadblocks will only be mounted on special requests, especially when seeking to achieve an agenda. He said such a roadblock will be removed once the mission is complete.
A roadblock mounted by police. /FILE
"The police roadblocks will removed from Kenyans Roads effective November 1. Police will instead conduct more police patrols to ensure order," he said.
"Roadblocks are an old form of security in various nations. Roadblocks should be mounted on the request of the security operators to achieve a specific agenda and once it has served its purpose it’s dismounted."
The CS appeared before the EAC panel to issue clarification after it emerged that many police roadblocks mounted in some parts of the country hindered the free transport of goods and services.
The Fafi MP-led committee raised concerns over the alleged harassment of transporters across the major highways by police who have been demanding bribes and causing delays, especially within the East African Community corridor.
Ruto ordered the immediate removal of all weighing points except Merikhani and those at border crossings for all transit cargo in late July this year as well as ordered the removal of all roadblocks along transit highways within Kenya's borders.
In November 2022, the government announced a plan to implement new technology to mitigate and improve road safety management by reducing the backlog of duties for traffic police officers, with the CS stating that the new technology would see the deployment of an electronic surveillance technique that would eliminate the need for traffic cops to man traffic jams on the roads.
“The surveillance will be mainly electronic and not a policeman opening your car. We will have a program of ensuring that we use technology to improve road safety and management.”
Kindiki Goes After Nyayo House Cartels
At the same time, Kindiki cracked the whip on cartels at Nyayo House, accusing them of delaying and sabotaging the efficient printing of passports.
"I have received credible intelligence that could suggest that part of our problems in the processing of our passport is corruption. We have a problem with immigration. I want to commit that I will provide leadership there; we will clean Nyayo House of corruption and all manner of crimes," Kindiki said.
He called out officers at the department who have been harassing Kenyans and soliciting bribes to be able to provide services that were meant to be for free, warning that this is one of the corruption scenarios at Nyayo House that have frustrated Kenyans, including young graduates who are looking for opportunities out of the country owing to the long delays.
Kindiki vowed to crack down on the trouble-making cartels at Nyayo House to streamline the effective processing and delivery of passports, adding that if need be, he would declare Nyayo House a crime scene.
"I have managed greater challenges in the last 10 months and I think some of the issues that were really running out of hand are now manageable. I will take the challenge which has been given to me. I will spend good time there physically to provide leadership that is required to clean up that Nyayo House," he said.
"If need be, we will seal off that place and declare it a scene of crime. You cannot have a public office where Kenyans queue all the way to Teleposta as early as 6 a.m. We will rid that place of all criminals including brokers who extort money."
Kindiki's allegations were echoed by MPs who argued that Kenyans are being forced to pay as high as Ksh10,000 in order to get passports processed.
He also acknowledged that some people have waited for months to get their passports while others have been turned away without reason.
Kindiki assured that the government took steps to address the long delays in processing passports, adding that he met the Immigration PS and Director General during which they agreed on what to do.
"It is not going to be business as usual. We must clean up Nyayo House," he warned.