Johnston Kavuludi and team leave office

Commissioners of the National Police Service Commission who were sworn into office in October 2012, officially announced their retirement Tuesday at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi.

Those who retired are chairman Johnston Kavuludi, acting Deputy Mary Auma and commissioners Ronald Musengi and Murshid Mohammed. Ms Auma has been the acting deputy chairperson since 2013 following the death of Ms Esther Chui.

However, commissioners who will go on holding office are Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet, Administration Police Service deputy Inspector-General Noor Gabow and Kenya Police Service deputy Inspector-General Edward Mbugua.

Speaking during the farewell party, Mr Kavuludi said during his tenure he had overseen a number of police reforms and the vetting of over 10,000 police officers. "The police service has undergone a number of major transformations under the outgoing commission which I'm really proud of," he said.

However, he said the commission's term had been marked by threats. In 2013, a freshly chopped head of a man was found in a box that had been dropped outside the commission's offices in Nairobi with the message: "Kavuludi you are next."

 “Not even the head that was covered with blood stopped me from fulfilling my mandate as the chairman of the commission. I vowed that I had to ensure that we bring reforms to the service and I believe I performed to my best,” he said.