Acting interior CS Fred Matiang'i during a press conference at Uhuru na Kazi buildings in Mombasa, Sep 14, 2017. [PHOTO/the-star.co.ke]
It was not Matiang'i but the law that withdrew the NASA leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka security details.
A controversial law that was enacted in 2015 denies any opposition leader key state benefits that include round-the-clock security as well as their entitlements.
The Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officers) Bill, 2012, which was later passed by the last Parliament states that the leaders can only get state benefits after they retire from active politics.
What this means then is that
former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and
former vice presidents Musalia Mudavadi and Kalonzo Musyoka were enjoying
their current benefits merely at the behest of the State.
Although Raila said the move to withdraw them state protection was part of a wider plot to cause harm to opposition chiefs, acting Interior CS Fred Matiang'i defended the move saying they were not justified by law.
"Why should we give you 20 police officers so that you can loiter around with them at conferences and hotels when they are needed elsewhere?" he asked.
"What law have we broken? The Inspector General of Police deploys police officers to duty where they are needed," added a tough-talking Matiang'i.