Five interviewed in private to succeed Deputy IG Grace Kaindi

Deputy Inspector General of Police Grace Kaindi. Five senior police officers have been interviewed privately for the position of deputy inspector general of police, which fell vacant following her exit. (PHOTO: FILE/ STANDARD)

Five senior police officers have been interviewed for the position of deputy inspector general of police, which fell vacant following the exit of Grace Kaindi.

This is despite a court order that barred the naming of Ms Kaindi's successor pending determination of a case.

Police employer, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), had sought the public's input ahead of the interviewing of the applicants, who included acting Deputy Inspector General Joel Kitili, former Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Gideon Kimilu, Deputy DCI Joseph Ashmalla, head of police personnel Mary Kaol and CID training school commandant Judy Jebet.

Commission Chairman Johnston Kavuludi said the interviews were conducted in camera.

"This is an in-house affair aimed at filling a position that fell vacant and as such no media is allowed," he said.

Mr Kavuludi said they used the information provided by the public on the candidates to conduct the interviews. "The public will be informed about the successful candidate after the interviews," he added.

It is not clear what informed NPSC's decision to conduct the interviews in camera despite calls to make it public.

It is only the five officers who applied. Sources, however, claimed that several other qualified officers chose not to apply alleging bias. They further said there was a general feeling that the outcome was pre-determined and that State preferred a certain candidate.

They said in contrast with the last recruitment where only officers with degrees were considered, the commission had relaxed the rules to include non-degree holders whose competencies will be equated to a degree.

But Kavuludi denied the claims, saying any officer who met the qualifications was free to apply.

The search for the next DIG has been affected by a court order stopping recruitment of Kaindi's replacement until her court case is determined. Judge Nduma Nderi stopped the recruitment. When NPSC appealed the ruling, it lost and was advised to make a replacement only after the case had been determined.

The case is still pending in court.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on September 1, 2015 removed Kaindi whose contract was to expire in 2018.

Apart from being a DIG, she was a commissioner with the NPSC, which is a constitutional independent body.