Blow to sacked traffic police officers in Kisumu who petitioned court

The Employment and Labour Relations Court has sealed the fate of 20 traffic police officers in Kisumu who had been sacked during the vetting process.

The officers who were fired in 2016 had jointly petitioned the court in a bid to get back their jobs.

Justice Nduma Nderi however ruled on Thursday that the police officers were lawfully removed from office following the vetting process after they failed to explain their source of wealth.

In their case, the officers had argued that the National Police Service treated them unfairly by denying them a chance to bring witnesses during the vetting exercise.

They consequently argued that their fundamental rights were also abused.

However, the chairperson of the National Service Commission Johnstone Kavuludi told the court that the vetting process was done in accordance with the law.

He maintained that the respondents received huge amounts of money in their bank accounts as well as through mobile phone transfer.

The amounts reportedly did not match their incomes prompting the vetting Board to sack them.

In court documents, one of the officers Joyce Arus Owiti, was found to have about Ksh.9million in her account but could not explain to the vetting panel the nature of business that led to the money.

Justice Nderi ruled that there was no evidence to prove that the vetting Board flouted any constitutional provisions in conducting the exercise.