For the past more than 30 years he has been in the National Police Service, Abdalla Komesha has been operating under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
And to many colleagues in the service, his appointment as the acting Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police was a surprise.
He took over as acting DIG on Monday in a low-key event at Vigilance House.
Komesha, 55 and a trained lawyer was recruited into the service as a graduate and later deployed to Central police in Nairobi in DCI.
He was then moved to the Anti-Narcotics Unit, the defunct Kenya Anti Corruption Commission, DCI Academy, Banking Fraud Unit, DCI headquarters, National Counter Terrorism Center and later to police headquarters, Jogoo House.
His appointment in acting capacity follows the retirement of the DIG Edward Mbugua. National Police chairman Eliud Kinuthia said Komesha will act as the DIG for 14 days before they know the way forward.
“Mbugua has retired and the commission has appointed Komesha as the acting DIG. We will know the way forward after 14 days,” he said.
The commission met Monday virtually for the ratification. Mbugua had hit the 60-year retirement age four years ago but was given a contract which was to lapse in July 2023.
Kinuthia described Mbugua, 64, as a hard-working officer who had given all to his career.
“He is available for consultations on policing matters. He did his best,” he said.
The position of DIG is constitutional and the holder has to be recruited competitively.
As the DIG, the holder of the officer is the most powerful as he or she controls almost 70,000 personnel of the more than 100,000 officers under NPS.
The other personnel are in Administration Police Service and DCI.
The DIG KPS is in charge of all eight regional police commanders, 47 county commanders, formation commanders, Subcounty Commanders, Officer Commanding Station and all uniformed officers.
He also controls the General Service Unit, traffic department and Kenya Police College in Kiganjo.
Komesha comes to the office when the service is facing different forms of crisis including financial.
The morale of many officers is low due to among others poor pay and living conditions.
A task force is collecting views on how police welfare will be implemented but many fear the same may not be implemented.
The first DIG under the 2010 constitution was Grace Kaindi in 2012 then came Joel Kitili and Mbugua.
The functions of the DIG in Kenya are crucial for the command of the National Police Service.
Article 245 of the Constitution provides for two positions of Inspector General to head the Kenya Police Service and the Administration Police Service.
The President should appoint each Deputy Inspector General of Police with the recommendation of the National Police Service Commission.
The DIG Kenya Police Service should be subject to the direction, command and control of the Inspector-General-be responsible for the effective and efficient day-to-day administration and operations of the Kenya Police Service.
He should also implement policies and directions of NPS about the Kenya Police Service, prepare the budget, plan and provision of support for the service.
He should also establish and maintain police stations, outposts, units or unit bases in the counties and determine the boundaries of the police stations, outposts or unit bases.
Moreover, he should establish a facility in each police station for receiving, recording and reporting complaints from members of the public.
The DIG should manage, monitor and evaluate KPS, undertake the supervision of the service, coordinate training in KPS, and provide internal oversight of the service.
Other duties are to establish and maintain a relationship between the Kenya Police Service and the community and improve transparency and accountability in the Kenya Police Service.
He should cooperate and engage in joint security operations with the Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Administration Police Service, other government departments or other security organs to ensure the safety and security of the public.
He should implement the decisions of the Inspector General, issue general, special, routine and standing orders in respect of the KPS and perform such other duties as the Inspector General may assign, or as the NPS Act or by any other written law may prescribe.