Amid reports of a looming exit of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja who is said to be working on contract after attaining retirement age, questions have been asked on who is most likely to succeed him.
It is most likely that Kanja may not oversee the 2027 general election as police boss with his countdown clock already activated.
Appointed in 2024 to succeed Japheth Koome who resigned, Kanja is now 63 years old. He has served as police boss for 41 years now.
Kanja’s looming retirement puts two powerful men on focus, with at least one of them tipped to take over the mantle.
Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of the Kenya Police Service wing, Eliud Lagat is one of them.
Boasting 28 years in the service, Lagat is seen by many as a favorite to succeed Kanja.
He has served as Kanja’s deputy for two years. Previously, he served as the GSU commandant for one year.
Lagat had previously served as the director of investigations bureau at the Directorate of Criminals Investigations..
Then there is Gilbert Masengeli, the towering and ever smiling cop who is from the Administration Police Service.
Masengeli joined the service in 1989 and has risen through the ranks to become one of the most powerful cops in the country today.
Prior to his current appointment as DIG- APS, Masengeli served as the commandant, Administration Police Service Training College at Embakasi A Campus.
He had previously served as the commandant, Special Operations Group, an elite unit within the APS that handles specialized assignments.