Some 514 positions that were formerly filled by Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome have been posted by the National Police Service Commission.
This development follows a week-long deadlock between two groups of the commission, one led by Koome and the other by chairman Eliud Kinuthia. The senior officers’ promotions were at issue in the argument.
Following a ceremony at the Office of the President on Monday, Koome and his assistants Douglas Kanja and Noor Gabow announced the promotion of 514 officers. They asserted that they had adhered to the law and that such promotions were commonplace.
Kinuthia, however, later deemed the promotions unconstitutional and proclaimed them to be invalid. He had planned to hold a press conference in Mombasa, but he eventually decided against it.
Instead, Peter Leley, the CEO of the commission, denied the promotions in a statement that was not signed and did not have an official letterhead. Leley claims that the promotions broke a number of laws, including the Kenyan Constitution and the Standing Rules of the National Police Service.
Koome asserted that he was acting legally in order to defend his activities. Leley nevertheless published an ad in nearby publications on June 10. The advertisement referenced to Executive Order No. 1 of 2023, which recognized the independence of the National Police Service Commission and the National Police Service and was issued on January 6, 2023.
The job posting requested applications from skilled police officers for openings in the National Police Service.
The commission stated that it was dedicated to fair competition, merit-based hiring, and providing all qualified applicants with equitable employment chances. The application cutoff date was June 30.
Koome, however, sent an internal memo directing his officers not to submit applications for the vacancies being advertised. Given the current debates within the commission, he believed that the advertisement was confusing about who should apply for which posts.
The open posts in several departments, including the Kenya Police, Administration Police, and DCI, included those for Senior Inspector General, Assistant Inspector General, Commissioner of Police, Senior Superintendent of Police, and Superintendent of Police.
Koome had previously filled these openings through promotions, therefore they were identical posts.
The Director-General of the Kenya Coast Guard Service, the Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations, the Director of DCI’s Investigations Bureau, and the Director of the Internal Affairs Unit were among those elevated. Regional police chiefs also received promotions to higher ranks.
With opposing views from various factions on the promotions and the subsequent announcement of the openings, the issue within the National Police Service Commission is still contentious.
