Defence assistant ministers Joseph Nkaissery and David Musila argued
that the matter touched on serious security concerns and discussing it
in the presence of journalists and the public would intimidate and
frustrate security forces.
We established these organs and we should not appear to be
intimidating and frustrating them,'' they told the House before asking
that journalists leave.
The motion of adjournment was moved by Limuru member of parliament
Peter Mwathi, who has been pursuing the issue after three members of a
family in his constituency disappeared recently.
The member of parliament has argued that the dreaded Kwekwe squad, an
elite police unit which the government claims to have disbanded, is
involved in the killings and mysterious disappearances of hundreds of
youth, mainly from Central and Nairobi provinces.
Rogue officers
Moving the motion on Wednesday, Mr Mwathi accused police of being
behind illegal killings under the guise of fighting crime. There are
rogue police officers who are performing acts of murder, he said.
However, Mr Nkaissery and Mr Musila, demanded that the MP tables
evidence to show police involvement in the killings. Insisting that the
feared Kwekwe squad was operating silently, the Limuru MP tabled a
letter from the Nairobi provincial police officer Njue Njagi addressed
to the divisional police office and copied to the OC Kwekwe squad.
The letter dated Friday, February 6, 2009, instructed the division's
officers to take charge of the security of the Prime Minister because
there was a terror threat.
Internal Security minister George Saitoti shot up and disowned the
letter as a fake, saying that police had dismissed it as bearing false
content.
After scrutinising the letter, House Speaker Kenneth Marende said that
even though it bore the provincial police officer's signature, the same
should be verified by the relevant authorities.
Mr Mwathi also tabled two reports from the Kenya National Commission on
Human Rights to prove police involvement in the killings.
While moving that journalists withdraw from the House so that the
matter be discussed in privacy, Mr Nkaissery said some politicians
funding criminal gangs and frustrating police efforts to weed them out.