Inspector-General (IG) of Police Hillary Mutyambai appeal to the Senate to pardon his Sh500,000 fine imposed for ignoring parliamentary committee summons has been revoked.
The IG was summoned by the Senate Devolution Committee to explain why police officers were used in the illegal evictions of residents of Pumwani and Eastleigh, respectively.
“I received the invite by the Senate quite late. Realised that when I followed the protocol for rescheduling somebody in my office didn’t deliver the message on time.
As a disciplined force, I took the administrative action to correct the anomaly in future,” Mutyambai stated.
The committee chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’ reviewed the fine after Mutyambai pleaded with the committee, saying his absence was not intentional.
“With the view of getting substantive answers to the substantive issues in Pumwani and Eastleigh. Honourable members we do resolve, we revoke the fine and give the Inspector General the chance to address the issues,” stated Kajwang’.
Through a letter dated March 25, 2022, addressed to Senate clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye, Mutyambai pleaded with the Senate’s Devolution and Inter-governmental Committee to pardon him, claiming it was not his intention to miss the meetings.
“I hereby submit my humble appeal to the committee to set aside the penalty that was imposed on me.
Kindly accept my sincere apologies as it was never my intention to disobey your summonses,” Mutyambai said.
The IG argued that gathering of relevant facts to issue a comprehensive report on evictions from the Ministry of Interior and Coordination took longer than anticipated.
Further he blamed his assistant for misinforming him on the slated dates to appear before the Homabay Senator Moses Kajwang’-led committee.
“Secondly, I was regarding the summons for 16th March 2022, my assistant misinformed me on the actual date I was supposed to appear before the Committee. I was informed that I was required to appear on 17th March 2022,” he said.
Mutyambai was expected to give details on the allegations that state machinery was used in the evictions of tenants from houses in Pumwani and Eastleigh.
Allegations are rife that the exercise was undertaken in the strict surveillance of the police and Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).