Reinstated GSU officer protests after being dumped in Migori – Nairobi News

A police officer whose suspension was lifted this week, two years after he was accused of deserting the Service to attend classes, is unhappy with his deployment to Migori County because it will deter him from resuming studies, and lack of compensation.

Trouble for Newton Chebii started in 2015 when he was awarded a scholarship, alongside 12 other officers, by Strathmore University.

Curiously, the scholarships came after a memorandum of understanding between the institution and the National Police Service.

Chebii was accused of failing to notify the Service that he was attending classes and suspended in October 2016 while in his second year of study.

Consequently, his scholarship, which was pegged on him being an employee of the Service, was terminated a month later and the officer began his quest for justice through the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).

The commission recommended his reinstatement and payment of arrears in November 2017, but the service declined.

OMBUDSMAN

He appealed to the Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman).

The Ombudsman on Tuesday announced that Chebii had been reinstated after its intervenion and in an interview with Nairobi News, the officer thanked the commission for following up his matter.

“I thank the ombudsman, it was after their final reminder to the Inspector General that a police signal was sent out to OCS Kapsowar to trace me and notify me to pick a letter lifting my suspension from the GSU headquarter,” he said.

Chebii has since learnt that he has been deployed to Migori County, a move he says was aimed at frustrating his efforts to resume studies.

“The service has not adhered to the recommendations of NPSC to pay my salary arrears and facilitate my studies. In fact, with this transfer to Migori, the director of personnel is frustrating my attempts to resume studies,” he told Nairobi News on Wednesday.

FATHER OF SIX

During his suspension, the father of six, who was his family’s sole breadwinner, had to survive on teaching Chemistry and Biology in different schools in his home county of Elgeyo Marakwet.

“My suffering should be addressed as I have dependants who suffered due to this erroneous suspension. The service ignored a letter reinstating me written by my employer NPSC and even when the Ombudsman notified me about the letter, officers at the police headquarters kept saying that my file was missing hence could not reinstate me. How is it now that the file has been found after Ombudsman’s final reminder to the Inspector General’s office dated December 13?” he questioned.

Chebii says he has lost three years of his professional life as he would still be serving the country while furthering his studies.

“Why should I be made to suffer twice; be erroneously suspended and lose the scholarship as well? I will fight against this injustice not for my own sake but also for the sake of other officers who have ever been suspended unfairly,” he said.

PASSION

Chebii’s passion to serve made him apply to the General Service Unit and he deferred his studies at Egerton University where he was a regular student studying biochemistry.

“I wanted to study Law and so I joined the service so as to serve my country while still exploring my options to pursue law and so when the scholarship opportunity came I applied and was selected but during my second year is when this injustice happened,” he said.

Chebii’s ambitions remain undimmed and he plans to fight for his chance to resume studies and serve in the police service.