Mutyambai, Kinoti out as Ruto engineers major security changes

Ruto announced the early retirement of Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai and in his place nominated Japheth Koome as the new police boss

Koome, a former Nairobi county police commander, is the current commandant of the National Police Service College, Kiganjo.

Ruto is expected to name a replacement for Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss George Kinoti.

Kinoti does not see eye-to-eye with Ruto.

Before his election, the President relentlessly complained that the DCI had been weaponised to cripple his political bid.

“I have submitted to National Police Service to proceed with advertising that position and meanwhile, they should get someone to act in the place of Kinoti,” he said.

In a press conference at State House, Ruto announced that Mutyambai requested to proceed on terminal leave because of his health situation.

“After discussing with Mutyambai and in consideration of his service to our nation and his health, I have accepted that he will proceed on terminal leave on the six months he has on his contract,” the President said.

At the Cabinet level, the security sector will be led by Kithure Kindiki and Aden Duale who have been nominated Cabinet Secretaries for Interior and Defence.

The posts are presently held by CS Fred Matiang'i and Eugene Wamalwa, two ardent supporters of former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.

In Executive Order Number 1 of January 22, 2019, Uhuru–at the height of his falling out with Ruto - elevated Matiang'i to supervise Cabinet colleagues and oversee government plans.

Wamalwa was named Defence CS in changes made in late 2021 and was a key plank in the Kenyatta administration in the latter days.

Recently, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua intimated that major changes would follow in the national government administration, signalling a reshuffle of county commissioners.

“We have changed the way things were being done where county commissioners were being used for political mobilization,” the DP said.

He said the team would be assigned new tasks on security, development, and agriculture.

In what he said was a sign of his commitment to police reforms, Ruto has given the police financial autonomy, handing the department over Sh100 billion in budgetary allocation.

The President ordered the designation of the Inspector General of Police as the accounting officer of the National Police Service.

This saw the entire police budget cut from the ministry and managed by the office of the IG.

Previously, the budget was controlled by the Office of the President, managed by the Interior Principal Secretary serving as the accounting officer.

There was tension ahead of the election after the President, then DP kept complaining of the government’s misuse of the police for political gain.

This was amid claims that the previous administration had used the security sector to settle political scores and stifle dissenting voices.

Kenya Kwanza leadership locked horns with the team which included Kinoti, Mutyambai, and NIS director Philip Kameru for taking sides in the polity that ensued.

In the new structure, the Interior Ministry has been renamed and will now be referred to as the Interior and National Administration ministry.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris