Fate of 100 police bosses uncertain

What you need to know:

  • Some sources described the National Police Service Commission meeting as stormy.
  • The abolished ranks are senior deputy commissioner I and II, deputy commissioner, senior assistant commissioner and assistant commissioner.

The future of nearly 100 senior police officers is uncertain after radical changes were made to the top command on Thursday.

The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) introduced three new ranks to replace five that have been rendered obsolete, affecting the positions held by 196 senior officers.

The commission, sitting in Malindi on Thursday, adopted the new ranks — senior assistant inspector-general (SAIG) and assistant inspector-general (AIG), in which about 50 vacancies are available.

The other new rank, that of commissioner of police, will be filled at a later date.

Successful officers will be posted as heads of each of the 47 counties. Some sources described the meeting as stormy.

A proposal was floated to accommodate all the officers in the new ranks but it was met with disagreement from some of the commissioners.

There was another proposal to declare all senior positions vacant and officers invited to apply for the jobs.

NPSC commissioners, including chairman Johnston Kavuludi, Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo, Deputy Inspectors-General Samuel Arachi (Administration Police) and Grace Kaindi (Kenya Police) attended the two-day closed-door meeting in the North Coast town.

The other commissioners are Mr Ronald Musengi and Mr Murshid Mohamed.

The abolished ranks are senior deputy commissioner I and II, deputy commissioner, senior assistant commissioner and assistant commissioner.

Mr Kavuludi said those appointed in the new command would be announced after they receive appointment letters.

He added that the successful officers must have sailed through the police vetting conducted months ago.

On Wednesday, the meeting went on until midnight. Mr Kimaiyo described it as fruitful and helped in mapping out new security strategies.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku gazetted the new ranks in July.

WILL BE SENT HOME

According to sources, there are between six and 10 slots available for the SAIG.

Available slots for the AIG are fewer than 40, meaning the bulk of senior officers will be sent home.

But there is a reprieve for some of them. Only a few will be given letters recommending them for redeployment in other government departments.

There is also the unlikely situation that some senior officers would be content with a demotion, but that is the prerogative of the commission, depending on their CVs.