Japhet Koome Promotes Police Officer Who Welcomed Him At Kiganjo College: “Wewe Ni Corporal Kutoka Leo”

• Inspector General (IG) of Police Japhet Koome asked police officers who had mounted a guard of honour who was senior among them
• A police constable named Arafat told the IG he was the senior most, having joined the service in 2016
• Koome asked if there was a graduate from 2015, but he got no response, prompting him to promote Arafat to corporal

Nyeri - A police officer accomplished his dream after Inspector General (IG) of Police Japhet Koome promoted him.

During a visit to Kiganjo Police Training College on Tuesday, August 8, Koome was welcomed by a guard of honour mounted by some officers.

The police boss asked the officers in the parade who was the most senior. An officer identified as Hamdi Arafat replied, stating he was employed in 2016.

Koome inquired if there was any other officer in the parade who joined the service in 2015. After a deafening silence, the IG concluded there was nobody.

He instantly informed Arafat that he had been promoted to the rank of corporal, asking him to greet him.

The IG disclosed to him that he would be the session commander, urging him not to disappoint in his new duties.

"You are the senior most? Nisalimie, wewe ni corporal kutoka leo. From today you are session commander. Don't let me down," Koome said.

National Police Service Commission revokes Koome’s promotions

As earlier reported, a simmering supremacy battle between the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) and the police boss recently came to light.

This was after NPSC publicly declared Koome’s promotion of over 500 senior officers unlawful, irregular, and unprocedural.

In a no-holds-barred press statement, the commission said Koome had no authority in law to promote the officers and warned that any service member attempting to implement the proposed changes “would be personally held liable”.

The standoff is likely to leave the police service in limbo over whether the changes will be effected and spark confusion over who will now be reporting to whom if the changes are effected.

Lawyer Ahmednassir questions Koome's silence

In a separate incident, lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi raised concern about the low profile kept by Koome amid accusations of police brutality.

According to the lawyer, Koome's loud silence left him, as a Kenyan, in a place where he did not feel the police boss was in control and actively serving in the office of the Inspector General of Police.

His sentiments were echoed by a section of Kenyans on Twitter, some of whom said that Nairobi's police commander Adamson Bungei's presence was dominant compared to the national police boss.