“Behind every Saint lies a past; ahead of every sinner lies a future!” St. Augustine.
Watching the National Assembly vetting National Inspector General nominee Joseph Boinett on National Television KBC was almost surreal. It reminded one of Albert Camus’ famous book, Le ’Stranger (or the Outsider), in which the main character watched his life from a respectable distance; as if in an out of life experience; a spectator in his own affairs.
Immediately after the ouster of former Inspector General David Kimaiyo, murmurings and rumbles were heard from Elgeyo Marakwet county that his replacement must come from that region. Amazingly the prayers of the Keiyo and Marakwet appear to have reached heaven, or at least some very high office as the President announced and presented Joseph Boinett as Inspector General, nominee shortly thereafter.
The pronouncement took the country by storm as very little was known about him both within and outside Kenya Police Services. Suddenly the nondescript Intelligence Officer had leapfrogged long serving officers at Vigilance House. He appeared before the Parliamentary Vetting Committee bespectacled, with eyes darting from place to place almost mimicking “a frightened deer caught” under a motor-cars bright headlamps. To put it mildly, his demeanor did not inspire or exude confidence. Next was the issue of his academic qualifications. At one time, Parliament appeared to agree that his credentials were suspect as his undergraduate degree was not recognised by the Commission for Higher Education only for them to adjourn, retreat and return the next day voting unanimously to endorse his nomination. Clearly, the nominee had a powerful support base within and outside Parliament.
The Inspector General Nominee faced strong headwinds in the Senate, with the likes of Senator Boni Khalwale stating in no uncertain terms that “the man has never held any position of leadership or command in the Police Service or NIS. He has only served for two years in the Police Service, and does not know the work of an OCS, OCPD or county commander. Intelligence officers who have spoken to me say he is an introvert, a poor intelligence analyst who needs a lot of supervision.” Kitui Senator David Musila (Wiper) also opposed the appointment. “I cannot support this nomination. Does he have the necessary experience to command as an Inspector General of Police? This gentleman was with NIS. Why was he not appointed the NIS Director when we were looking for one if he was truly qualified?” Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang (ODM) also made his maiden speech opposing the candidate. “We have set the bar too low. This is not an experiment. If it was my choice, I would make him OCPD in Homa Bay instead.”
Never in the history of Kenya has a nomination solicited such varied emotions. Security, however, is a highly emotive issue as it touches on the welfare of every citizen. The recent lapses in security combined with well planned terrorist attacks across the country had caused the President to overhaul the nations’ top security machinery after a national outcry. The Director of Intelligence, the Cabinet Secretary for Internal Security and the Inspector General were all forced out of office hence the current lacuna. Then as now Kenyans had nothing personal against the serving officers, all they required was efficient delivery of security services. Geographical and ethnic backgrounds were and remain insignificant.
The current recruitment and nomination of an Inspector General, however, reeks of a “fishing expedition” as Parliament appeared hell-bent to approve the nomination in the face of almost overwhelming odds.
Either some powerful political forces or simple political expediency has demanded that the position be “filled by a person from a certain area.”
Unusual as the procedure maybe, it is important that such person be the most qualified and meritorious nationally. For a person to head an institution as large as the Kenya Police Service, such person must have the respect and full regard of all serving police officers. Failure to do so is a sure recipe for insubordination and dysfunction.