The National Police Service has refuted claims that the tenure of the Director of the Criminal Investigations (DCI) Amin Mohamed had come to an end.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, April 1, NPS Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga termed the reports by the Daily Nation as misleading and sensationalised.
Nyaga maintained that DCI Amin was still in office and that news reports purporting that his term ended because he had attained the retirement age of 60 years were sensationalised.
"The claim that Amin's tenure 'ends today' is factually inaccurate, premature, speculative and misleading. He continues to serve in office lawfully and is discharging his duties diligently in service to the country.
"Matters relating to the appointment and tenure of senior security leadership are governed by law and established procedure; therefore, no newspaper, however influential, has the power to declare the end of a public officer's tenure," Nyaga stated.
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NPS further called out the newspaper for claiming that the DCI Boss was haunted by abductions, terming the allegations as erroneous, reckless and unsubstantiated.
Nyaga accused the Daily Nation of tarnishing the name of the entire Directorate and the wider National Police Service.
He argued that the DCI had consistently and transparently investigated all reported cases of alleged abductions or missing persons.
The Spokesperson noted that while some abductions were staged for sympathy seeking, it handled genuine cases with the urgency and seriousness required, and without fear or favour.
"Painting the DCI with a broad brush of 'abductions' ignores the Directorate's significant achievements under Mr Amin's leadership: enhanced forensic capabilities, the successful dismantling of major criminal syndicates, improved international co-operation (including his recent election to a key INTERPOL position), and the relentless pursuit of serious crimes affecting ordinary Kenyans," he wrote.
He warned the publication that they risked soiling their reputation and erasing the credibility it worked so hard to achieve.
Nyaga urged media houses to exercise responsible journalism by verifying facts before publication, especially on matters touching national security.
This is the second time that the media has been called out for publishing unverified news.
The Standard Newspaper came under sharp criticism from the DCI after it published news claiming that former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju had been abducted.
DCI Amin revealed that Tuju's phone records placed him in his Karen home during the entire time he was reported missing.
