The committee composed of the Senate and the National Assembly has approved the nomination of Engineer Japheth Koome as the new Inspector General of Police.
Koome now awaits the Presidents appointment to take over the office from former IG Hillary Mutyambai who resigned on September due to medical complications.
Noor Gabow, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, has been acting as IG since August 2022.
“This is to inform the general public that I will be away from the office attending to a medical check-up effective today.
“In my absence, Noor Gabow, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Administration, will act as the IG of the National Police Service until my return,” Mutyambai said when he handed over to Gabow.
However during the vetting on Tuesday November 8, Koome assured Kenyans that he will transform the National Police Service (NPS) and ensure security and protection for all Kenyans irrespective of region, tribe or political interest.
The new IG will have to deal with the banditry menace which has rocked the northern part of Kenya in the past few months.
While appearing before the committee, Koome had to fight off claims that his tenure as the Nairobi County Commander was marked with serious human rights violations, including police killings of unarmed protestors as well as children.
However before the committee Koome had to brush off claims that his tenure as the Nairobi County Commander was marked with serious human rights violations, including police killings of unarmed protestors as well as children.
Koome declared before the committee that his net worth is khs. 89.9 million. However he had a huge task to answer as to how he will lead the police yet he has a matter hanging on his head.
He, however, told lawmakers that he was not responsible for the death of a nine-year-old girl, Stephanie Moraa. He also denied raiding University of Nairobi hostels on September 29, 2017 as alleged in a petition lodged in Parliament against his appointment.
Zaina Kombo, who filed the complaint, wants Parliament to reject Koome’s appointment on grounds that he falls short of the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution.
“I want to leave here and not be seen as a killer. The 2017/2018 operation came when we were about to lose this country but we had to operate within the written law.
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“I was the overall commander but commanding several sub-unit commanders. Following this incident the matter was investigated and nobody was found culpable. In fact, there was zero responsibility on me,” he said.
On the young girl who died in Mathare, he said that the matter was presented before a court of law.
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“Officers gave evidence, family gave evidence and the matter was dealt with and I was not found culpable,” Koome told the legislators.
