- Among the positions that are up for grabs include the Inspector General of Police and his deputies.
- If there will be changes in the positions, this will automatically trigger realignments in other directorates in the command chain.
Image: FILE
Dozens of senior security officials in major agencies are anticipating a major shake-up that may see some of them either being moved or promoted.
This includes in the National Police Service, National Intelligence Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service.
This has prompted lobbying among some of the top commanders in the institutions and their friends and relatives either to have them in lucrative positions.
Among the positions that are up for grabs include the Inspector General of Police and his deputies.
If there will be changes in the positions, this will automatically trigger realignments in other directorates in the command chain.
The same applies in NIS where the president may decide to change the directors, as per insiders.
The holders of the offices have the security of tenure and if any, the president may move them to other departments in the government.
The IG is appointed for a single four-year term and is not eligible for re-appointment. The term of the current IG Hilary Mutyambai ends next year in April.
At the Kenya Prisons, officials said they anticipate changes but not immediately.
Officials in the new government say President William Ruto is likely to make changes in the coming days and has names of the people he would want to take over there.
Several names have been dropped as possible successors of the offices but the president will make the final decision.
This will also see him get a new commandant of the Presidential Escort Unit. He inherited some of the officers from his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta.
In the police, among the names being mentioned as likely to be moved and named in new positions include General Service Unit Commandant Douglas Kanja, assistant to the IG Nyale Munga, Kenya police college commandant Japheth Koome, director of Internal Affairs Unit Mohamed Amin and Director of Reforms at the Kenya Police Service Headquarters-Vigilance House Jacinta Kinyua.
The names of DCI director of planning Nicholas Kamwende, director of DCI reforms Eliud Lagat, Jasper Ombati and Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Tom Odero have been dropped on corridors of power as people watch.
The new commanders will progress with various reform programmes that are ongoing.
“He may decide to retain some of the current officers for transition. It all depends on interests and him,” said one official aware of ongoing lobbying.
On Tuesday, Ruto ordered that the Inspector General of police be allowed to manage funds for the National Police Service.
This gave an indication of his plans to make changes in the service.
He said the current scenario where the IG got his budget to run the service through the Office of the President has been undermining the independence and autonomy of the office.
He was expected to sign instruments that will confer the IG as the accounting officer for the service.
“This situation is going to change. This situation is going to change. I have instructed that the instruments conferring the financial autonomy to the NPS by transferring their budget from the Office of the President and designating the IG as the accounting officer be placed on my desk for signature this afternoon,” he said.
He said the financial independence of the police will be an impetus to the fight against corruption and end the political weaponisation of the police.
Police and prison services budgets decreased by Sh8.4 billion from last year’s Sh110.6 billion to the current 102.2 billion.
A past attempt to make the IG’s office independent by making him the accounting officer failed.
The plans included making the holder of the office be at the level of a Principal Secretary and ensuring they get their funds directly from the Treasury.
The functions of the IG are important for the overall command of the National Police Service.
The Kenyan Constitution establishes the office of the Inspector General of Police in Kenya in Article 245.
The president appoints the IG with the approval of Parliament.
According to the law, the person should exercise independent command over the National Police Service and perform any other functions prescribed by national legislation.