The Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti in under one year managed to impress President Uhuru Kenyatta after he reigned in on otherwise what used to be called “untouchables.”
Like a coach who pushes his players to the limit, Uhuru on June 1 decided to take the battle a notch higher by giving Kinoti a herculean task of hitting the last nail on the head of graft lords.
Two things: Kinoti has the chance of redeeming his career or sinking down as Uhuru may need a new person to take on graft.
So far, it is safe to conclude that Uhuru is an impressed man and has full confidence in the chief sleuth.
The fate of Kinoti, however, hangs in the balance as he is seen as the President’s point-man to slay the dragon of corruption and money laundering.
Hey @NPSOfficial_KE @DCI_Kenya anyone doing this should be arrested and charged. People MUST respect Kenyan money in circulation even if we disagree with the contents. @IG_NPS @FredMatiangi @njorogep pic.twitter.com/lZ326t4ntT
— Robert Alai (@RobertAlai) June 4, 2019
In a sting operation that is rumoured to have caught looters flat-footed, President Kenyatta announced that the Sh1000 bills will cease to be legal tenders by October 1, setting money hoarders on a mad rush.
While the move had been floated sometime back, few people, if any, ever though the President would take the unprecedented step.
In between now and October 1, observers note a potential upsurge in church donations, school fundraisers and burial committees.
Between now & October 1, 2019, Fundraisers will be daily as those hoarding illicit Billions rushing to clean their money in intricate schemes. Churches, Schools & Burial Committees will be busy. But they stay warned: Money Laundering brings Liability to all in the chain.
— Donald B Kipkorir (@DonaldBKipkorir) June 2, 2019
These are just but some of the ways the corrupt would be sanitizing their money if not making them into proper use before they are rendered null and void.
Pessimists, however, rebutted the move, saying the money launderers had stolen the money way before the announcement was made.
But nothing can be further from the truth.
While a few people could be privy to the subtle announcement, the vast majority who have money stashed in home banks are scratching their heads all night long.
Standing in the gap between is the DCI Kinoti who is tasked with executing this purge with medical precision despite having no previous experience of ever conducting such an operation.
The operation involving cartels is first and foremost a dangerous venture in its very nature as the cartels will never go down without putting up a spirited fight.
But for a man who has been shot multiple times battling with hardcore criminals from the wider Nyanza region to Nairobi gangs, Kinoti is no mean feat.
But that said, Kinoti has a huge task coordinating the task with a 5-month deadline. In short, it is a make-or-break situation as it could mean his end.
Observers have noted that a superfluous execution within the five-month window could even sink the country irredeemably.
This puts Kinoti in a situation where he not only has a duty to perform, but the future of an entire country to preserve.
No doubt President Kenyatta will sack Kinoti if he ever mishandles the mission he has been tasked to accomplish.
The country will be bitter and not even KInoti will stand in the way of the President whenever citizens demand that heads should roll.
All the efforts he has made including arresting the Deputy Chief Justice and dismantling extensive criminal gangs will go down the drain.
His dalliance with the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions will also be severed and the criminal Justice system in the country will revert to “factory settings.”
While Kinoti has served for only 10 months, the impact of his actions has been widespread, earning him praise and recognition even in the region.
His predecessor Ndegwa Muhoro must be hiding his face in shame whenever he sees Kinoti conduct otherwise risky operations that he shied away from doing in his seven years at the helm of the powerful office of intelligence.
Political observers have noted that the weakest link in the purge will be banks.
The move to phase out KES 1000 notes is brilliant. But the key to its success is execution. The banks are the WEAKEST link. The scheme won’t work if banks collude with the looters. Investigators must closely monitor all bank transactions @ahmednasirlaw @DonaldBKipkorir
— Prof Makau Mutua (@makaumutua) June 3, 2019
How the banks behave with the money in the next five months will determine the economic situation of the country in the years to come.
Reports indicate that some estimated Sh600 billion are hoarded.