Kenya Police shortlists eight candidates for Deputy Inspector General position

The hunt for a new deputy inspector general of Kenya Police is currently ongoing, with eight applicants shortlisted.

The acting Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Kenya Police Eliud Lagat is among four candidates shortlisted for the same position.

In the wing of the Administration Police Service, acting DIG James Kamau is also among four shortlisted candidates for the same position that Lagat is eying.

The National Police Service Commission announced on Friday that the shortlisted candidates will appear for interviews on Monday (22 July) next week.

Other candidates set to face the interview panel include former Nyanza regional police commander Vincent Makokha, Coast regional police commander George Sedah, and immediate former Rift Valley regional police commander Tom Odero.

Still in the Administration Police Service wing, other candidates who have expressed interest in the position are commandant National Police Campus Embakasi Gilbert Masengeli, Margret Karanja of the police band, and former spokesman Masood Mwinyi.

The interviews will be conducted at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete. Members of the public have been requested to send their views on the candidates who have expressed interest in filling the position.

Japhet Koome resigned on July 12 and President William Ruto validated this decision by appointing the now-retiring DIG KPS Douglas Kanja as the acting IG of NPS.

Lagat, the former Commandant of the General Service Unit, was named acting DIG Kenya Police, and Kamau, the former Commandant of the Administration Training Police Campus- Embakasi was named acting DIG APS.

According to NPS, The DIG-APS is responsible for leading the Administration Police Service and operates under the directions and control of the IG.

In the changes that the Head of State effected, he transferred the commander of his security team- Presidential Escort Unit William Yiampoi. He however failed to name a new Prescot commander, creating a vacancy that may be filled soon.

Koome's position will be filled by someone Ruto would propose and send to Parliament for approval.

He had assumed the position in October 2022 becoming the third IG to leave office before finishing his term.

Police Reforms Working Group and Civic Freedoms Forum have called on Ruto to competitively recruit the next Inspector General of Police.

The lobbyists in a joint statement on Wednesday stated that the next IG should meet key qualifications enshrined in section 11 of the National Police Service Act.

This includes holding a degree from a recognised university and demonstrating a distinction in their career.

"The appointee must have served in a senior management position for at least 15 years and has knowledge and experience in matters related to either criminal justice, policy development and implementation, finance and public administration, security, law and sociology," they said.

In addition, they have asked President Ruto to restore the National Police Service Commission's role of recruiting all senior police officers. They said the 2014 Security Laws Amendment Act altered and gave the mandate to the President.

"The amendments also changed the procedure for the removal of the IG-NPS, leaving the president with little power in law to remove the IG from office," they said.

According to the lobbies, the Maraga National Taskforce on Police Welfare and Reforms whose report has been submitted to the President recommends the reinstatement of competitive recruitment processes of the IG.