Following the disbandment of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)'s Special Service Unit, President William Ruto has explained why he gave the order as he settles into his role as head of state.

The news of the dissolution as ordered by acting Director General Noor Gabow was announced by the agency on Sunday, October 16, and officers attached to the unit were asked to head back to the Kiambu Road headquarters awaiting further direction.

It has now emerged that President Ruto issued the directive, as part of the implementation of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto to address extra judicial killings that endangered the relationship between law enforcers and Kenyans.

In a move aimed at restoring public trust in the National police Service, the commander-in-chief pointed out that the creation of the unit did the exact opposite, endangering the lives of Kenyans through killings and hence it was time to reorganize the force to protect the welfare of the public.

"The country was very insecure. the police changed and became killers instead of protectors of ordinary Kenyans. I have ordered the disbandment of a Special Police unit that was killing Kenyans arbitrarily. We will change this country for the better," Ruto told congregants at an interdenominational prayer service at Kericho Green Stadium in Kericho County.

The SSU was former DCI boss George Kinoti's brain child after ordering the disbandment of the Flying squad in 2019, together with another unit dubbed the Sting Squad Headquarters that were aimed at dealing with crime within the country.

The two elite units were attached at the DCI's Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) for intelligence driven operations alongside other units that include Cybercrime, Ballistics, Scenes of Crime, Principal Crime Registrar, Crime Intelligence Unit, Homicide, (DNA, Toxicological, Chemistry and Biology Lab Units) ,all based at the agency's forensic laboratory.

The units worked closely with other State Security Agencies for intelligence sharing and hence are on call 24/7 to cater to crime-based emergencies all over the country.