At least 20 senior police officers have been promoted in changes announced by the Inspector General of police Hilary Mutyambai.
Most of those affected have been in offices with lesser ranks hence affecting their performance in terms of command.
The National Police Service Commission approved the promotion of the IG’s principal assistant Gideon Munga Nyale, deputy director of National Air Support Department (NASD) Rodgers Mbithi, the director of the Internal Affairs Unit Mohamed Amin and Nairobi Regional police commander Rashid Yakub to the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General of police (SAIG).
Also promoted to the rank of SAIG included the head of Border Patrol Unit College in Kanyonyo Abdulahi Aden, Railways Police commandant Peter Ndung’u, head of logistics at Administration Police and former spokesman Masood Mwinyi and director of personnel at Kenya police headquarters Boniface Maingi.
Several regional commanders were also promoted to the rank of the Assistant Inspector General of police (AIG) in the changes.
They include head of Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Nairobi Bernard Nyakwaka, Nyanza regional police commander Karanja Muiruri, Central’s Augustine Nthumbi and DCI’s deputy director of investigations bureau Carey Nyawinda.
The service commanders have been operating in acting capacity hence affecting the general command and order.
The promotion of Yakub to the rank of SAIG means he will be moved to a different office and get a replacement to take over.
Officials said Mutyambai would announce more changes soon.
Two weeks ago, Mutyambai ordered the reshuffle of dozens of Ward Commanders popularly known as Officers Commanding Station (OCS).
This followed complaints some of them had overstayed at their stations for long. To further strengthen police command at the grassroots, all chiefs’ camps, which were initially manned by APs, were converted into police posts.
Each of the wards across the country now have a police station under the command of a ward police commander, who replaced the former OCS.
The police boss said stations are the major service delivery points to the members of the public who require services.
He also added that officers commanding various police stations together with their deputies will be picked from across the services based on their performances. OCSs’ are the main drivers of police service in the country. BY THE STAR