A wave of uninhibited violence in the coast region coupled with a poorly co-ordinated war on narcotics has landed its first victims in the Police Service sector.
Vigilance House, in a letter dated August 16, ordered the reshuffle of top police bosses in the Coast region with immediate effect.
The reshuffling was reportedly due to the recent wave of violence in Kisauni, Nyali, and Liokoni and also due to a poorly coordinated war on narcotics.
In the reshuffle by the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, Coast Regional Police Marcus Ochola was moved to Rift Valley, The Standard reports.
Edwin Mwamburi, who was in Rift Valley, was moved to the Western region and Ochola who has been in the Coast region for less than a year was replaced by Rashid Yakub from the Western region.
Yakub was a GSU commander before being moved to the Western region and is expected to report to work this week.
Also moved was Coast Police Commander Johnstone Ipara who was at the centre of the much-publicized raid on tycoon Ali Punjani's house. He has been replaced by Augustine Nthumbi from Uasin Gishu county.
The transfers that have affected officers in many parts of the country have reportedly caught many officers unawares.
Two weeks ago, Dr. Matiang'i had promised to carry out investigations into alleged police laxity and weakness in the war against narcotics trade on the coast.
Dr. Matiangi had particularly expressed his disappointment with the slow response by the law enforcement agencies to the recent gang attacks in Kisauni and Nyali sub-counties where 14 people were injured.
There have also been claims of rogue police officers operating in cahoots with criminal gangs domiciled in the Coast region.
"The government reacted because of the pressure. We do not want to see the arrest of bhang smokers, we want to see the drug barons arrested," Nyali MP Mohammed Ali weighed in on the reshuffling report.
Earlier in August, Bofu MCA Ahmed Salama and 17 other people were arrested after the police linked them to narcotics trade which reportedly paved way for the militia attacks in Nyali and Kisauni.
Mombasa residents welcomed the move saying that they expect other police officers who have overstayed in Mombasa county to be transferred too.
