Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome on Tuesday, April 4, transferred Nyanza Regional Police Commander Noah Mwivanda, just a week after he had reported to his new post.
Sources privy to the matter intimated to the media that a dispatch was communicated to the officer to hand over the office immediately to the Director of the Welfare Directorate Manasse Musyoka.
Musyoka, a former Coast and Central commander, was expected to report to the new office on Wednesday, April 5.
Mwivanda took over the Nyanza post from Karanja Muiruri who had been recalled to the police headquarters in the recent reshuffle. Karanja took over his new role as the Deputy Director in charge of logistics.
Barely a week after Mwivanda reported to the Nyanza office on Tuesday, March 28, he took charge of operations during the Thursday, March 30, mass demonstrations orchestrated by the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
During the protests, a police officer succumbed to injuries after he was hit on the chest with a stone thrown by one of the protestors.
At the time, Commander Mwivanda noted that a giant homemade catapult was used and stones were propelled during the running battles with the police.
"Our security officers have embarked on a massive search for the catapult, which we have now classified as a lethal weapon," stated Mwivanda
"Due to its size, the huge Y-shaped stick with an elastic band tied to the two prongs was used by up to four rioters to launch stones at the police during a raid at Jamia Supermarket, which was looted.
“This weapon is also dangerous to the people who use it. We call upon any member of the public with any information on where it can be found to report to the nearest police station,” he added.
After two weeks of running battles with the police during the mass action, opposition leader Raila Odinga announced a ceasefire to engage the government in dialogue over the issues they presented.
"We are calling off our weekly demonstrations but we will resume them in the next week if there will be no meaningful engagement with the (President William) Ruto administration where we are asking that all our demands are met," he stated.
