The National Police Service (NPS) is facing a deepening internal crisis as several senior officers remain stationed at police headquarters without formal duties, clear assignments, or even designated offices. 

The unusual situation has not only placed Inspector General Douglas Kanja, his three Deputy Inspector-Generals Gilbert Masengeli (Administration Police), Eliud Lagat (Kenya Police Service) and Mohamed Amin (Directorate of Criminal Investigations), on the spot, but has also raised questions about internal management, resource allocation, and the future of leadership within the service. 

Also in focus is the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), which is constitutionally charged with the responsibility of handling police human resource matters. 

The situation is said to be particularly worse in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Kenya Police Service (KPS), where several senior officers have found themselves either hanging along corridors or remaining in their houses while earning salaries and allowances for doing nothing. 

Facing embarrassment 

Several of the officers have been forced into moonlighting to beat boredom or remain in their houses to avoid facing embarrassment from their juniors for idling along corridors.  

Sources within the force reveal that several high-ranking officers, some with decades of experience, report to work daily but have no specific responsibilities. 

Instead, they spend their time idling in corridors, temporary lounges, or shared desks — a striking image of institutional stagnation at the very heart of law enforcement operations. 

“This is not just a waste of talent, it’s a systemic failure,” said one insider who requested anonymity.

“These are officers who have commanded regions, overseen major operations, and led reforms. Now they’re left in limbo, with no clarity about their roles or futures.” 

Thousands of senior police officers of the ranks of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Commissioners of Police (CP) and Assistant Inspector General (AIG) are not fully engaged in the service due to haphazard promotions, nepotism and corruption.

The situation is worse for CPs and AIGs, some of whom have been forced to take official leave as they wait for deployment. 

Commissioners of Police earn between Ksh255,000 and Ksh300,000 while AIGs earn between Ksh350,000 and Ksh450,000 and enjoy the privilege of cars, housing allowances, drivers and other special perks. 

Commissioners of Police take home between Ksh180,000 and Ksh250,000. The highest officer, IG takes home Ksh800,000 with his deputies, the DIG, going home with Ksh700,000 each month. 

Cumulatively, the National Police Service could be spending at least Sh 10 million annually paying an AIG who is doing nothing. 

At the station level, sources say there are several Inspectors and Chief Inspectors of Police without portfolios who have been forced to undertake patrol duties, roles supposed to be undertaken by Constables and to some extent, Corporals. 

Tribalism in assignment 

The situation worsens higher up the ladder, where several SSPs, Commissioners and AIGs have had to either bribe their way or align themselves with their tribesmen to be assigned portfolios and offices. 

“It is a waste of both human capital and financial resources. The officers are being wasted, not out of their choice, but due to failure by the NPSC and the IG and his DIGs,” says security expert George Musamali. 

Musamali cites the case of eight AIGs assigned to the office of the Director of Operations at Vigilance House, Adamson Bungei and six CP attached to the Central Regional Commander, Samuel Ndanyi. 

The security expert, while laying blame on NPSC for failing to streamline the human resource management in NPS, urges the authorities to emulate the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), where positions are only created when vacancies arise. 

“This is not just a waste of talent, it’s a systemic failure,” says Musamali.

“These are officers who have commanded regions, overseen major operations, and led reforms. Now they’re left in limbo, with no clarity about their roles or futures.” 

“If leadership is idle, the entire system starts to drift,” Musamali adds. “This is not just about idle officers — it’s about institutional rot and the failure to manage transitions with professionalism.” 

‘Structure is proper’ 

But NPS spokesman Michael Muchiri Nyaga denied the claims, insisting that the NPS structure is proper and placement has not been an issue. 

“Yesterday, we had officers of the rank you’ve alluded to reporting for higher training. Considering the usual and normal transitional issues, including retirement, natural attrition, etc, there’s not been a cause for concern,” Muchiri told the PD Wikendi. 

Though promotions are to be determined by the existence of an appropriate vacancy, on an officer satisfying the criteria for promotion, or on an officer successfully undergoing a promotional course or training, this has not always been the case, according to sources. 

“Not all the promotions are not based on the available vacancies, but based on tribal, political connections. Such promotions should also consider the NPS’ strength and establishment.”

A senior police officer told PD Wikendi that promotions, especially for very senior officers, should be transparent and also consider years of experience, regional ethnicity and gender balance. 

Equally, a number of factors should be considered before officers are promoted, including their suitability to work in positions commensurate with their ranks; their training, skills and experience; where they have worked, and disciplinary or criminal proceedings. 

“The NPSC regulations on promotions require that such be based on merit, and all officers should be accorded equal opportunities for promotion,” he said. 

Section 6 of the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) Act requires the Inspector General to, on an annual basis, carry out a review of the Service’s establishment and strength and submit the recommendations to the NPSC. 

Establishment refers to the required number of staff of the service, while strength means the actual number of staff within the service. 

At Vigilance House, for example, some of the senior officers are exposed to degrading conditions where they are forced to share offices with some of them, even CPs not issued even with official cars. 

Some of the SAIGs and AIGs have been appointed regional liaison officers while others are engaged on a need basis.

Former National Police Leadership Academy head, Dr Musyoki Mutungi, an AIG, is now based at Vigilance House as the liaison officer, Traffic and yet the Traffic department is headed by Commandant Fredrick Ochieng, who holds a similar rank. 

Concerns have also been raised over the meteoric rise of some officers within the ranks, while others have stagnated in the same rank for over six years. 

At Jogoo House, for example, an officer who was a Chief Inspector in 2022 is now a CP, having risen four ranks within a period of three years. 

Reports further indicate that corrupt senior officers have been receiving bribes to influence promotions, either through merit or by attending promotion courses at the various training colleges. 

“This has led to the increase in senior officers who cannot be appropriately deployed since deployment is based on the rank of the officer in question,” another senior officer said. 

According to the NPSC Act, the service is expected to adhere to standards on promotions, and it is a disciplinary offence for an officer to solicit, offer money or other reward in order to get or give a promotion. 

There are cases where deserving officers are denied promotions while others, even with questionable track records, are promoted. 

“The promotions of some police officers have been found to be meteoric while others have stagnated in the same rank for years despite the fact that there are no adverse reports against them,” he said. 

Police regulations also require that an officer’s disciplinary record must be taken into consideration, and any officer found guilty of a disciplinary offence may not be considered for promotion until after the lapse of six months from the date of the disciplinary offence. 

Officers’ promotions 

For an officer of the rank of a Chief Inspector to be promoted to the next rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), for example, the officer must have served in that rank for a minimum period of three years, successfully completed Higher Training Course(HTC) and not have any disciplinary conviction or adverse report in the last six months. 

The officer must also have met the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution and shown merit and ability, as shown in work performance and results. 

Equally, for a Commissioner of Police (CP) to be promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General (AIG), the officer must have served in the rank of CP for a minimum period of three years. 

In addition, an officer at this rank will be required to undergo any of the skills upgrading courses stipulated inthe NPSC guidelines. 

For succession management, the NPSC or the IG may promote an officer in anticipation of the concerned position falling vacant and not after the vacancy has already occurred, according to the regulations. 

“In order to assess whether an officer qualifies for a promotion, there shall be regular, mandatory performance appraisals in order to establish a reliable track record of an individual member of the National Police Service,” the NPSC Act states.

The Service Promotion Boards, comprising at least one member of the human resource department, are usually established to advise the Commission on issues relating to promotions.