The transfer of senior police officers within Kisumu County has been welcomed by mixed reactions. Some of the residents turned their attention to junior officers who they accused of overstaying and propagating crime yet little is done to change them as others felt the change will not have an impact on the run away security the county is currently facing.
"It is the junior officers propagating crime not commanders, they will change the top leadership more than ten times but without touching the juniors, nothing will change," said Greig Ogolla, a resident of Kisumu.
Ogolla alleged on Friday that some officers are involved in crimes within the county and the transfers should cut across the board.
The residents were reacting to the latest transfers effected by the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and Inspector General Boinet as one of the major changes in the police force in efforts to contain crime in the country.
John Elungata has been posted as the new Kisumu County Commissioner replacing Erastus Ekidor, while Joseph Chepkitany takes over as the new county police commander replacing Nelson Njiri.
Two a week ago, Johnstone Wanyama who was an Officer Commanding Kondele Station was also transferred to Mount Elgon. Wanyama was in Kisumu just before the 2007/08 Post election violence and was transferred later only to be recalled to the lakeside town after leaders and residents asked for him to be brought back.
Politicians and residents have on various occasion called for transfer of police officers that have over stayed in Kisumu .
However some residents were of different opinion saying the police should not be handed a blanket condemnation.
"We need to work with the police not talk at them the best way is give them a benefit of doubt, said Joel Odondi.
He added that he does not believe that all policemen in Kisumu County are involved in crime but only few whose days are numbered.