Fake PPO Probe
The Fake PPO Probe is an investigation ordered by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki into claims that an individual, Mr Joshua Waiganjo, had for 10 years passed off as a top policeman. He is alleged to have sacked and abused junior officers, and attended top security meetings. Arrest. On 4 January 2013 a man Joshua Karianjahi Waiganjo, was arrested after allegedly pretending to be an assistant commissioner of police for five years. He was discovered after flying on a police helicopter to investigate the massacre of officers in Baragoi. He was charged with: Probe Team. The President directed  the Inspector General and National Police Service Commission to commence a probe on the incident. Head of Civil Service Francis Kimemia communicated the President’s directive. Mandate. The National Police Service Commission announced a wider mandate of the probe committee: Membership. The investigation team members consists of the following members of the National Police Service Commission: The committee would also include representatives from the Kenya National Human Rights Commission, the Public Service Commission, the Law Society of Kenya and the Attorney-General’s office. These were later confirmed as the following: Family fights allegations. Waiganjo's family claimed that both  former Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere and Rift Valley police boss John M'mbijiwe knew him. The family showed photographs of M'mbijiwe attending the burial of Waiganjo’s grandmother on August 10, 2012 at Njoro public cemetery Waiganjo Claims. As the probe hearings were underway, Waiganjo who is facing several other criminal charges on 30 January 2013 claimed in a television interview that he was still receiving threats from senior police officers. He further requested an opportunity to meet Prime Minister Raila Odinga claiming to have sensitive information that has a bearing on the forthcoming General Election Police response. Rift Valley Provincial  Police Officer John M’mbijiwe claimed that Joshua Waiganjo is actually a police reservist in the rank of assistant police commissioner. He indicated that Waiganjo was recruited in 2002 by former Police Commissioner and was introduced to him as the Head of the Kenya Police Reservists Services (KPRS) in Rift Valley when he assumed office. The former Police Commissioner Matthew Iteere however denied having anything to do with Waiganjo. On 9 January 2013, M’mbijiwe and 2 other officers, Michael Remi Ngugi, the Anti Stock Theft Commandant in Gilgil and the Njoro divisional police chief Peter Njeru Nthiga. were suspended over the  scandal by the National Police Service Commission. The National Police Service Commission also ordered a headcount of all officers countrywide. Hearings. It was also confirmed that the hearings would be public. The Commission held its Nairobi hearings at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre after holding initial hearings in Nakuru at the Nakuru Municipal Hall. Testimonies. Nakuru Hearing. Deputy Commandant of Administration of police, Elsebuys Laikuta testified that they have never had an officer by the name of Joshua Waiganjo but that Waiganjo was among officers who boarded the chopper that left for Baragoi after 42 officers were killed. Deputy Police  Commissioner Francis Musembi Munyambu previously accused of having introduced Waiganjo to the suspended PPO John M'mbijjiwe denied having met him. Zacheus Kotut, a clinical officer at the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) Dispensary in Gilgil testified that he gave medical treatment to Waiganjo several times at the request of the ASTU Commandant Remy Ngugi. A driver to Remy Ngugi, a Mr. Joel Motem, also gave testimony that he had driven Mr. Waiganjo to Mr. Ngugi’s house many times. Mathew Iteere. During his testimony Former Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere blamed former Rift Valley province police boss John M’Mbijiwe and claimed  that he never knew the imposter. He indicated that the first time he heard about Waiganjo was after he was mentioned in a report as having accompanied M’Mbijiwe to a high level security meeting to Baragoi before the massacre that took place. Iteere further claimed that M’Mbijiwe informed him that Waiganjo was in charge of the Kenya Police Reservists in the province. This he said “mesmerised” him since the reservist units had been disbanded since 2004 by the then police commissioner Maj (Rtd). General Mohammed Ali. Report and Recommendations. The team concluded its work on 31 January 2013 and handed  over its findings and recommendation to the National Police Service Commission(NPSC) On Waiganjo the following findings were revealed: The probe recommendations included: Former police commissioner Mathew Iteere and Njoro police boss Peter Nthiga were cleared by the probe. Despite recommending Nthiga's reinstatement, the team recommended his transfer to another station. Reactions. Civil society groups in a negative response to the report indicated that it would further erode any confidence that the public may have had about the police reforms. They took the position that the decision fell far short of what Kenyans were expecting.