Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has demanded a formal explanation from Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja after his security detail was withdrawn for the second time in less than a year, a move that came days after President William Ruto toured the county and publicly criticised the governor.

In a statement issued on Thursday, 15 October 2026, Natembeya asked the National Police Service to explain the reasons behind the decision and to confirm whether the required procedures had been followed before his guards were recalled.

The county's director of communications, Felix Sialo, said the withdrawal happened hours after the President's visit to the region. "I am particularly concerned that this is happening for the second time," the statement read, according to Eastleigh Voice. "I call upon the Inspector-General of the National Police Service to provide a formal explanation for this decision."

Article 47 and the right to reasons

Natembeya said he was not opposed to the review of his security arrangements, but insisted that any such review must be carried out professionally and lawfully. "I do not claim immunity from lawful security reviews," he said, as quoted by Kenyans.co.ke.

He argued that any review must be objective and free from discrimination or improper political influence, and invoked Article 47 of the Constitution, which guarantees every person administrative action that is lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair. The article also entitles a person to written reasons where an administrative decision is likely to adversely affect their rights.

The governor also cited Articles 238 and 244 of the Constitution, which require national security organs and the police to operate in line with the rule of law, human rights and professional standards.

He pointed to a High Court decision reported in June 2025 on the withdrawal of security assigned to five governors. According to Natembeya, the court held that pulling out such security without prior written notice, an opportunity to be heard and written reasons amounted to a violation of Article 47.

Clash with the President

The withdrawal follows a week of public sparring between the governor and the President. During a roadside address in Endebess on Saturday, 10 October, Ruto criticised Natembeya's "Tawe" slogan, accusing the governor of adopting a politics of opposing everything and linking his stance to stalled development projects in the county, including hospitals and roads.

Natembeya, who did not join the President's tour, hit back by accusing Ruto of using development projects for political mileage ahead of the 2027 General Election. He also objected to a planned commissioning of a market in Kitale by the national government, saying the project had been financed by the county government with support from the World Bank.

Natembeya, a former Rift Valley Regional Commissioner, has become one of the most vocal critics of the national government, and his Tawe slogan has featured prominently in his political mobilisation.

History of withdrawals

This is not the first time the governor's security has been pulled. In November 2025, Natembeya said that all six elite officers attached to him, including his driver, had been recalled and directed to report to the nearest police station, without prior communication or explanation. He described that move as an attempt to intimidate him and said the decision had been made at a very high level.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen defended the November 2025 recall at the time, saying some officers attached to VIPs had been implicated in the misuse of firearms and in collusion with criminal elements.

A civil society petition was subsequently filed against Murkomen and IG Kanja over that withdrawal. In December 2025, the High Court issued orders barring the withdrawal or reduction of Natembeya's security arrangements pending the hearing of the matter.

Police yet to respond

At the time of publication, neither the National Police Service nor the Office of the Inspector-General had publicly responded to the governor's latest complaint or given reasons for the withdrawal.

The latest withdrawal is the second time in less than a year that the question of the governor's security has pitted him against the national government. The earlier dispute ended up before the High Court, and the governor maintains that the courts have already set out the procedure the police must follow before withdrawing a governor's security.

Photo: Citizen Digital