Th rate at which decorated ex-soldiers and top spies are either beating rivals in competitive recruitment for posts that require advertisement or are handpicked by President Uhuru Kenyatta is taking many by surprise!
On Wednesday, Uhuru yet in another move nominated one of the National Intelligence Officer (NIS) to the position of the Inspector General of Police. This proved to the county that Uhuru probably trusts NIS officers more than any other force in the country.
Boinnet, DPP Noordin Haji and EACC chief executive officer Twalib Mbarak are all former intelligence officers.
But why this preference? There are many underlying reasons to this; Military discipline and the insight of intelligence officers are considered key assets for the respective jobs. There is also the view that for security-related positions and investigative agencies, these individuals are better suited as they can tap into vital networks.
The perception that these men are clean and disciplined has convinced President Kenyatta to put his trust in them as he banks his legacy on the war against corruption.
At least 10 senior appointments under Uhuru have seen former military and intelligence men picked.
These include the Office of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Immigration Services, the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Firearms Licencing Board, the Kenya Coast Guard Service, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).