FORMER CID chief Dr Francis Sang is among candidates being mentioned within government circles as a possible replacement for David Kimaiyo as Inspector General of Police.
Sang, the vice chairman of the Nyumba Kumi security programme, has been cited by powerful individuals at State House as a strong likely successor to Kimaiyo.
Kimaiyo resigned last week, following intense pressure that resulted from the massacre of 36 quarry workers in Mandera alongside other cases of insecurity in the country.
Following his resignation, the hunt for the next IGP has begun, with several top cops being named as possible candidates to succeed Kimaiyo.
Other top candidates tipped as likely to succeed Kimaiyo include former Provincial Criminal Investigations Officer Swaleh Salim, former Provincial Commissioner Hassan Noor Hassan, Joseph Ashimala, airports head of security Eric Kiraithe, John Patrick Owino, Peter Macharia Mwangi of the State Law Office, and Mary Oyugi-Kaol of Railways CID.
A top official in the Police Service has told the Star that Kimaiyo had proposed Central region CID chief Mohammed Amin, Director of Complaints Leo Nyongesa and former PC Jasper Rugut as his possible successors.
However, candidates could face the challenges of the law that demand a rigorous recruitment process.
In May this year, the National Assembly approved an amendment to the Police Service Act that vests powers for the recruitment of the IGP in the President.
Initially, the mandate was the preserve of the Johnson Kavuludi-led National Police Service Commission.
According to the amendment, President Kenyatta has 14 days from the day of Kimaiyo’s exit to constitute a selection panel to kick-start the process.
The panel will have representatives from the Law Society of Kenya, NPSC, Public Service Commission, the Office of the President, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, National Gender Commission and Independent Policing Authority.
The panel will advertise, shortlist and interview the candidates, then shortlist three names to be taken to the President, who will then nominate one candidate for vetting by Parliament.
This means that either Deputy Inspectors General of Police Grace Kaindi or Samuel Arachi will be appointed to the position for a period not exceeding three months in acting capacity as stipulated by the constitution.
So far, there has been no indication that President Kenyatta is keen to have either of the two appointed IGP.
There are strong indications that Uhuru may well leave the position vacant and have the two DIGs continue heading their units without a supervisor at the top.
The headache is who between Kaindi and Arachi will take up the position in an acting capacity, considering different factors that come into play such as command and control of the two police units.
It is unlikely that Arachi will be appointed the acting IGP, following a pending court case challenging his appointment as the DIG in charge of the Administration Police.
Activist Evans Akuma has moved to court to challenge Arachi’s appointment on the basis that he had not met the minimum qualifications to be appointed to the position.
Akuma wants the High Court to kick out Arachi because he had not served the Police Service for at least 15 years as spelt out in the list of qualifications gazetted by Kavuludi in October 2012.
- the-star.co.ke
