By Cyrus Ombati

The immediate former Police Commissioner, who was eased out on Tuesday, faces a testy future as he assumes the office of Postmaster-General.

The next few weeks will be heady for the man who called the shots at Vigilance House, even as sources at the military say security for Major-General Mohamed Hussein Ali is a major concern.

They say the Commissioner of Police’s job is sensitive and in Ali’s six-year stint, he rubbed many people the wrong way.

"He went after criminals resolutely and stood in the way of many who benefit from crime. Definitely, he has many enemies," the source said.

When he handed over to his successor, Matthew Iteere, Ali said law enforcement is neither a public relations exercise nor a contest and acknowledged he could have made enemies and friends.

Sources disclosed Ali’s posting to the Postal Corporation is a stopgap and he is headed back to the military.

Our efforts to get Ali’s perspective did not bear fruit on Friday. For most of the day, his phone was off. This is the only phone number he used when he was the police chief.

The military has made it clear that Ali is still a general and the Defence Council will decide his fate when it meets in November.

Privileges of a general

Department of Defence headquarters says he is still one of their commanders, and will continue to enjoy the privileges accorded to officers of his rank.

The privileges include top-notch security, the source pointed out.

The other option that would also guarantee Ali security is an ambassadorial posting.

DoD spokesman Bogita Ongeri said: "He is still a general and let nobody lie that he has left the service. It is the Defence Council that would decide the way forward."

The council usually sits three times a year and the next session is November. Ali will be the Post Master-General until then.

Defence Minister Yusuf Haji usually chairs the council on behalf of the President, who is the commander-in-chief.

Senior military officers are also members.

Speculation is rife Ali may be promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general and named vice-chief of staff, the second top rank after the chief of staff, or the commandant of the National Defence College.

Likely army commander

Some military sources intimated to ‘The Standard on Saturday’ that if he is promoted, he might be named Army commander.

Sources said the Army commander is usually of the rank of Lt-General. Sources knowledgeable in appointments in the Armed Forces said of Ali becoming Army commander: "Only if he is promoted, but not at his rank. If promoted, he could get one of the three posts occupied by Lt-Generals — Army Commander, Vice-Chief of Staff or Commandant of the National Defence College."

If Ali returns to the military, the council might retire some officers of his rank or senior to him.

In the event that the former commissioner is retired from the military, he might be appointed an ambassador.

And behind-the-scenes details before Ali was replaced have since emerged.

On Tuesday morning, visitors to Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s office were turned away and told he had gone to the Office of the President for an urgent meeting with Kibaki.

It was during the meeting that the two agreed on Iteere, as the first step of far-reaching institutional reforms in the Police Department.

Meeting with Kibaki

Ali met President Kibaki at Harambee House and was informed he had been relieved of his duties. He, however, was not told who his successor was.

It was not until he had arrived in his office that he received a call informing him Iteere would take over. He then called formation commanders to inform them he had been moved to a parastatal and Iteere would replace him.

The Office of the President told him to organise a press conference to hand over to Iteere.

Iteere had been recalled from leave that morning and told to report to the Office of the President.

Ali left Vigilance House the following day, Wednesday, evening, after bidding goodbye to a few commanders.

Some were surprised he did not know where the office of the Post Master-General is. They told him.

He did not report to work on Thursday and Friday, but is expected in his new office on Monday.

The shuffle surprised many officers at police headquarters, as they had no information a committee had been vetting names of Ali’s possible successors.

Proposed were Commissioner of Prisons Isaiah Osugo, his deputy George McGoye, National Youth Service Commandant Japheth Mwania, Kenya Wildlife Service Director Julius Kipng’etich, former Director of Police Operations David Kimaiyo and former CID Director Joseph Kamau.

Official residence

The committee settled on Iteere because he was the most senior and experienced to run the force. Even though Ali had anticipated the changes, he did not know when.

Sources said he had expected to be removed this month, but not at the beginning.

It is claimed he had removed his personal belongings from the office. Ali had also been moving out of his official residence in Lavington, Nairobi, to a new one. Neighbours at the official residence said he was rarely there in the past month.

Ali was plucked from the high profile position as Second Commander, Western Brigade, in Gilgil. He was then a brigadier in the Army, but was promoted soon after joining the police force in 2004, because of the nature of his new command.

Ali was born in 1956 in Eldoret, and attended Uasin Gishu High and Kolanya Boys in Busia. He joined the military in 1977, as a cadet.

He loves soccer and volleyball and was once the chairman of Ulinzi FC. He served in Zimbabwe for six months, as a military attachÈ during the southern Africa’s transition to independence and as a defence attache in Uganda between 1998 and 2001, before returning to Defence headquarters.

Signs of more changes

He is a trained paratrooper who rose through the ranks to become a captain. He was promoted to brigadier in 2003, after training in US, India, and Egypt.

The exit of Ali and appointment of other commanders in the force signal more changes in the regular and Administration Police.

Although the President did not shuffle the AP, sources say changes will come by the end of the month.

A number of senior officers will be affected.

Seven senior police officers were promoted and others sent home in the unprecedented shake up that caught many off guard.

When he promoted Iteere, Kibaki did not name his successor at GSU and he left many other sensitive posts vacant, an indication of changes to come.

The removal of Ali has been on the cards with civil society organisations demanding his sacking over human rights’ abuse.

The committee was given at least ten names of senior officers of the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police, including that of the new Deputy Commissioner I Francis Okonya.

Iteere and Okonya were the two top contenders before the former. was picked. Iteere was senior to Okonya by one rank.

Kibaki seemed to be acting on the report on police reforms and that of UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings Philip Alston, which recommended the removal of top leadership in the force as part of anticipated changes.