Nyanza Regional Police Commander Patrick Tito was Monday moved to Vigilance House in Nairobi and named Principal Assistant to Deputy Inspector General DIG Kenya Police Eliud Lagat.
This follows the retirement of former PA to DIG Miriam Muli last month.
The changes also came after the National Police Service Commission promoted more than 700 officers across all services.
As the PA to the DIG, Tito will be the main driver of the service in many ways. He will advise the DIG on many operational matters. He goes to a familiar territory.
He had served former police bosses as a PA in the same office.
They include Maj Gen (Rtd) Hussein Ali, Mathew Iteere, David Kimaiyo and Joseph Boinnet. He was then moved to the diplomatic police unit, railways and later to Nyanza where he has served for almost a year.
He handed over to his deputy Abdulahi Jire and left for his new assignment in Nairobi. NPSC promoted 14 senior police officers to the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General (SAIG).
The NPSC also promoted a total of 724 senior officers of the ranks between Assistant Superintendent (ASP) and Commissioner of Police (CP).
Notable promotions included the Director of Human Capital Development (NPS), Dr. Mwangi Wanderi, Principal Assistant to the Inspector General, Mathew Kutoh, Commandant National Police Service Airwing, Captain James Kabo, Commandant National Criminal Investigations Academy-DCI Sospeter Munyi, 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, the commandant of the Border Patrol Unit Isaac Halima and Tito.
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).
Francis Ndiema (Personnel) from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations was also promoted to the rank of SAIG.
Director Corporate Communication Michael Muchiri Nyaga and Chief Transport Officer-APS, Edward Ochola were promoted to the rank of AIG. A total of 51 other officers of the rank of CP were promoted to the rank of AIG.
They include 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), 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 the promotion of police officers from the Inspector General, NPS in accordance with the Law.
The Commission reviewed the extent to which the recommended officers fulfill the requirements of promotion to the various ranks and was satisfied that the criteria was met.
Kinuthia said Kanja had assured them that the process was competitive, and transparent and had considered regional, ethnic and gender balance in arriving at the preferred candidates in accordance with Articles 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.
