Kenya's Police Service faces internal upheaval as President Uhuru Kenyatta has not addressed the continued tenure of Deputy Inspector General Edward Mbugua, who exceeded the mandatory retirement age of 60 in July 2019. The National Police Service Commission (NPSC), led by Eliud Kinuthia, has also avoided resolving the matter, intensifying speculation about succession dynamics.
Five senior officers, including a former provincial police chief and a Kenya Police College commandant, remain in their roles despite being eligible for removal under the National Police Service Act 2011. The law mandates that the president appoint a deputy inspector general within 14 days of a vacancy, but this process has stalled.
Senior officers are engaging in political lobbying, with some hiring bloggers to discredit rivals and holding clandestine meetings with politicians. The Inspector General of Police, Hilary Mutyambai, has reportedly compiled a list of officers to be reassigned to the Public Service Commission, a move critics argue could influence leadership transitions.
The NPSC chair has been urged to return to Nairobi for urgent discussions on pending personnel changes. Meanwhile, the National Assembly's recent amendments to the Miscellaneous Amendments Act removed parliamentary oversight of police appointments, centralizing authority with the president and NPSC.
