- The officer identified himself as Amdi Arafat. "Arafat, congratulations. From today you are section commander. Don't let me down," the IG said.
- A section of Kenyans, however, questioned whether the IG has powers to promote officers.
Image: SCREENGRAB
An officer at the Kiganjo Police Training College in Nyeri woke up on Tuesday as a constable but will sleep as a corporal thanks to Inspector General Japhet Koome's gesture.
Koome had toured the college to launch a new course and issue a press briefing on the security situation in the country.
During his interaction with officers, he enquired about the seniority of some junior officers on the basis of years worked.
"Now amongst you who is senior most?" he asked and an officer who said he joined the service in 2016 stepped forward.
Koome then asked to know who among the officers was hired in 2015 to which an officer stepped forward.
"You are the senior most?" he asked. "Yes sir," the officer replied.
"Nisalimie wewe ni corporal kutoka leo," Koome said.
The officer identified himself as Amdi Arafat.
"Arafat, congratulations. From today you are the section commander. Don't let me down," the IG said.
A section of Kenyans, however, questioned whether the IG has powers to promote officers.
They argued that promotions and transfers within NPS are functions exclusively reserved for the National Police Service Commission.
Article 245 (4)(c) of the Constitution states that the Cabinet secretary responsible for police services may lawfully give a direction to the Inspector General with respect to any matter of policy for the National Police Service, but no person may give a direction to the Inspector General with respect to the employment, assignment, promotion, suspension or dismissal of any member of the National Police Service.
The matter of whether the IG has powers to promote officers or not has previously been canvased in court leading to the suspension of promotions of 514 officers on June 23.
Koome had on June 5 announced the promotions which saw General Service Unit Commandant Eliud Lagat, Deputy Director of DCI Nicholas Kamwende and head of Investigations at DCI Abdallah Komesha promoted to the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police.
But National Police Service Commission Chair Eliud Kinuthia nullified the promotions terming them illegal.
Senator Okiya Omtatah and activist Michael Otieno challenged the promotions arguing that they were illegal leading to their suspension by the Labour Court.
While giving his legal opinion on the matter, the Law Society of Kenya President Eric Theuri said the IG has no powers to determine promotions in the National Police Service.
Theuri said those powers are reserved for the National Police Service Commission under Article 246(3) (a).
He, however, said the NPSC Act only donates power to the IG to appoint, promote and transfer officers below the rank of superintendent.
"Section 10 (2) provides that Commission may delegate to the Inspector General the power to recruit, appoint or promote police officers below the rank of superintendent," Theuri said in a statement on June 19.