4 things Kenyans would wish to forget about Joseph Nkaissery
Fallen Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery has been described by many as a patriot who served his country with exceptional energy and dedication. But are there any skeletons in his closet?
Below is a list of four things Kenyans would wish to forget about the fallen
Nkaissery was implicated in Lotiriri Massacre
Nkaissery was accused of gross human rights violations by the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) in connection with 1984 military operation in West Pokot County.
The operation ordered by then President Moi between 1982 and 1984 was a major undertaking to disarm the Pokot community.
Nkaissery, then army major, was among the senior military officers the TJRC accused of gross violations of human rights, including torture, sexual violence and murders.
“From 22nd February to 22nd May (1984), he (Nkaissery) spearheaded Operation Nyundo, where many people lost their lives and over 20,000 animals starved to death. The operation was also punctuated with rape and beating of the locals. The disarmament exercise resulted in deaths of civilians in what has come to be known as Lotiriri Massacre,” TJRC report says.
Nkaissery’s Interior Ministry was ranked the most corrupt in 2016
Report released by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on March 15th 2016 showed that the Interior Ministry headed by Joseph Nkaissery was most prone to corruption.
EACC’s survey indicated that the Interior Ministry led in corruption perception at 40.3% followed by Health at 14.3% and Land at 11%.
Social media gag
Nkaissery cracked down on social media users following the emergence of video online that showed the last moments of Al Shabaab before they attacked the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Baure camp in Lamu County.
Speaking to journalist outside Jogoo House on May 27th 2015, Nkaissery said that he had spoken to mobile phone providers Safaricom and Airtel to help in cracking down on social media users who discuss issues of national security.
The Interior CS said that sharing of issues of national security on social media amounted to propaganda to war and incitement to violence.
Nkaissery intimidated journalists
Joseph Nkaissery had no respect for media freedom; he ordered the arrest of The Nation newspaper’s parliamentary editor John Ngirachu on November 10th 2015 in relation to a story he wrote on investigations into a Kes 3.8 billion alleged scandal at Interior Ministry.
Even though the Constitution protects media people from being forced by any authority to reveal their confidential sources, (unless such an order is issued in a court of law) Nkaissery gave the police green light to arrest and force journalists to disclose their sources of information on stories pertaining to government.
Nkaissery insisted that Ngirachu would only be released if he revealed his sources of a story which was written on Daily Nation. The journalist was however released following intervention of National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and Majority Leader Aden Duale.
