Gov’t to fill vacant positions for chiefs, assistant chiefs in 90 days, Kindiki reveals
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki says plans are underway to fill all vacant positions for chiefs and assistant chiefs across the country.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, October 11, the CS said all vacant positions where interviews have been concluded will be filled within 90 days.
"The vacancies are a result of natural attrition, dismissal from service for officers after their cases have been concluded by the Courts or Public Service Commission, and there are no pending appeals before the Courts, promotion of the officeholders to higher offices, resignation and redesignation of the officer holders," Kindiki said.
He was responding to a question from Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute who asked the CS to provide a per-county schedule of vacancies in positions of chief and assistant chief in Kenya, indicating the period the respective positions have been vacant as well as the causes of the vacancies.
The CS declined to answer the question saying: "We are not in a position to give the exact information the senator looks for, unless the question is specific to a county. Because the vacancies for positions of Chiefs and Asst. Chiefs occur on a daily basis."
He, however, told the House there are 3,955 locations and 9,045 sub-locations in Kenya administered by chief and assistant chiefs respectively.
At the same time, Kindiki revealed plans to streamline the supervision of National Police Reservists (NPRs) to ensure accountability in their operations.
"NPRs play a pivotal role in supplementing the efforts of security agencies to trace, track, and apprehend criminals, particularly in areas that are bandit-prone and face the risk of terror," he said.
He told the House that the government had trained and deployed 460 NPR officers in Samburu County since November 2022.
Further in Elgeyo Marakwet County, 153 NPRs have been recruited and will be trained and subsequently deployed.
"In Baringo County, 200 NPRs have been recruited and deployed, while in West Pokot County, 205 NPRs have been vetted and will be undertaking training. In Turkana County, 140 NPRs have been recruited and trained, while another 500 are pending vetting. In Turkana County, 419 NPRs were recruited, trained, kitted, and deployed," he said.
He told the Senators that the Central Firearms Bureau is currently undertaking a nationwide audit of weapons and ammunition, and anyone, including NPRs who misuse firearms in their possession, will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
