Immediate former Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei and former director of personnel at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Simon Mwangi Wanderi are among the 14 senior police officers promoted to the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General (SAIG) by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).
The NPSC also promoted a total of 724 senior officers of the ranks between Assistant Superintendent (ASP) and Commissioner of Police (CP).
Among the senior officers promoted to the rank of SAIG include Dr Wanderi Mwangi who is the Director of Human Capital at the National Police Service headquarters, the Principal Assistant to the Inspector General Mathew Kuto, and the Police Air Wing Commandant James Kabo.
Others are former Nairobi Region commander Adamson Bungei who is the current Director of Operations at Vigilance House; the Director of Personnel Catherine Wanjiku Mugwe; director of Community Policing Judy Chebet; PA to DIG Kenya Police Service Kyalo Peter Tito and the commandant of the Border Patrol Unit, Isaac Halima.
Officers from the Administration Police Service promoted to the rank of SAIG include Lazarus Opicho (Security of Government Buildings), Hesborn Lusweti (Personnel), Jackson Kangami (Operations), Hoseah Limo (Anti-Stock Theft Unit).
All units
Francis Ndiema (Personnel) and Sospeter Munyi (DCI Academy), both from the DCI have also been promoted to the rank of SAIG.
A total of 51 other officers of the rank of CP were promoted to the rank of AIG. They include the NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, Coast Region police commander Ali Nuno, Commandant Kenya Airports Police Unit (KAPU) Benard Korir, Samuel Ndanyi (Central), Hillary Birgen (Logistics), Johana Tanui (Operations), Patrick Mwakio (Inspectorate), Sarah Duncan (Reforms), Joyce Kanda (Personnel), Janet Shako (Logistics, DCI), Isaac Meme (Inspections, DCI), George Kisaka (DCI, Nyanza), Richard Cheptilat (Airwing).
The Chief of Operations in Haiti Stephen Kipruto, Deputy Commandant Richard Rotich, Dr Philip Ouma (DCI Reforms), Ali Samata (Banking Fraud), Dennis Okadapau (Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau) and Janet Shako (Logistics) were also promoted to the rank of AIG.
The NPSC chairman Eliud Kinuthia said they met on March 10 and received recommendations for promotion of police officers from the Inspector General, NPS in accordance with the Law.
Compliant promotions
The commission reviewed the extent to which the recommended officers fulfil the requirements of promotion to the various ranks and was satisfied that the criteria was met.
Kinuthia said the Inspector General, Douglas Kanja, had assured them that the process was competitive, transparent and had considered regional, ethnicity and gender balance in arriving at the preferred candidates in accordance with Article 10 and 232 on National Values and Principles of Governance and Public Service, he said.
“Subsequently, pursuant to Article 246(a), the Commission determined promotions of Seven Hundred and Thirty-Eight (738) Police Officers distributed in Kenya Police Service, Administration Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in respective ranks,” he said.
The beneficiaries also included 135 officers of the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP), 277 officers of the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) 261 Superintendents of Police (SP) and 50 civilian staff of NPS in various cadres.
The Kinuthia team is supposed to leave office by the end of March. Recruitment for a new team mostly of the civilian side is ongoing. Apart from the IG, his deputies are members of the commission.
The main functions of the commission include recruiting and appointing persons to hold or act in the office of the police service, confirming appointments, and determining promotions and transfers within the National Police Service.
They also observe due process, exercise disciplinary control over, and remove persons holding or acting in offices within the service. The commission has been making efforts to improve the welfare of the service at large. This includes creating a counselling unit to focus on mental issues in the service.
