Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome before the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare at KICC, Nairobi, on June 8, 2023.
For a man who was used to the trappings of power, former Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome's last days in office were lonely and dull.
Unlike in the past when he would arrive at Jogoo House office in gusto, armed bodyguards and chase cars in tow, on Friday, he made a low-key entry.
It was a few minutes to 7 am when the police boss walked out of the VIP lift into his office.
It is inside this velvet red carpet office that Mr Koome has been occupying for the last two years since his appointment as the IG that the call that shattered his career came.
At around 10 am, the police chief was informed of an urgent meeting at Harambee House.
At first, the invitation for a meeting with the head of public service Felix Koskei did not give an indication that this would end up being Mr Koome’s last day in office.
Those in the know say the meeting at Mr Koskei’s office lasted for about two hours after which Mr Koome returned to his Jogoo House office.
All along, not even his bodyguards got the slightest inkling that all was not well with the boss as Mr Koome maintained his usual no-nonsense look.
At around mid-day, Mr Koome returned to his office and immediately proceeded for a second meeting at State House Nairobi.
An hour after the State House meeting, President William Ruto announced that he had received Mr Koome’s resignation letter.
The President also announced a raft of other changes in the top echelons of the police.
AP Training School
The President announced the exit of DIG Noor Gabow whose position has been handed to James Kamau. Mr Kamau was until his appointment the commandant at the AP Training School in Embakasi.
Mr Eliud Lang’at who was the GSU commandant was picked to take over as the next DIG in charge of the Kenya Police.
Mr Renson Lolmondooni who was the National Police Service Head of Operations is the new GSU commandant.
He takes over from Lang’at who is the acting DIG. Mr William Yiampoy who was the head of the Presidential Escort team is the new director of operations at Jogoo House.
Mr Kainga Imathiu, who until Friday was the Murang'a county commander, is the new commandant of the National Police Leadership Academy in Ngong.
With this announcement, Mr Koome's 33-year service in the police came to an end.
Mr Koome has not been sitting pretty since October 4 last year when the fallout between him and his boss has been traced.
Those in the know say everything between the head of state and the IG was assumed to be going on well until that day when the Head of State chaired a meeting at State House Nairobi.
But conspicuously missing from this State function was the IG who is said to have travelled to Meru for another function.
All top security chiefs including the Interior CS Kindiki Kithure, DIG Noor Gabow and Douglas Kanja had been invited to this event. Prisons boss Brigadier (Rtr) John Kebaso Warioba was also present.
At State House, the President received the task force report from Justice David Maraga team that had undertaken a study on what was ailing the National Police Service, Prisons and National Youth Service.
Even as the IG, who spoke to the Nation, then insisted that everything was okay between him and his boss, some sources within the State security circles were categorical that it was just a matter of time before Mr Koome was kicked out of the corner office at Jogoo House.
No-show
Mr Koome had been maintaining a low profile during the Anti-Finance bill protest.
Political leaders from both the government and the opposition questioned why Mr Koome had decided a no-show when the country was on fire.
The political leaders claimed that Mr Koome’s failure to speak during the crisis had led to a poor show of the government’s position on security matters.
Last Wednesday at the height of the anti-tax increase protests the call for Mr Koome to resign gained momentum.
Some senators called on the president to dismiss the IG for failing to protect Kenyans during the protest. News that the president is now considering re-organising the government had fuelled speculation on the fate of the IG who had continued to maintain a low profile even as politicians called for his sacking.
The IG cannot be fired by the president. The office of the IG enjoys a security of tenure for the four years that he will be in office. Having survived past threats to his career, Mr Koome’s luck has been running thin in his last days in office.
In an interview with the Nation a week ago, Mr Koome denied claims that he had been summoned to State House over the manner in which the police had dealt with the largely peaceful demonstrators.
At least 39 people are said to have been shot and killed by the police during the protest according to statistics provided by human rights groups.
Last June, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki had warned Mr Koome and National Police Service Commission chairman that they risk being fired over incessant fights.
At the time when Kindiki issued this warning, Mr Koome and NPSC chairman Eliud Kinuthia were engaged in a protracted fight over the hiring of civilian staff by the NPSC.
So serious was this fight that 51 civilians who were interviewed and hired by the Eliud Kinuthia-led NPSC were locked out of their offices.
The staff were reporting to the new workstation for the first time after their appointment. When they arrived at Jogoo house offices, they were turned away by security officers who said they were acting on instruction from a top security chief.
Kinuthia issued a press statement on the matter and accused the IG of issuing orders to police officers manning gates at Jogoo House not to allow the new staff to access their offices.
The fight between the two police bosses reportedly found its way to State House.
What followed was a series of mediation talks even as a section of the police chiefs impressed on the president to deal firmly with the issue.
