Crime Escalates As Contract Of Police Commissioner Nears Its' End

Police commissioner Mohamed Ali's three-year contract comes to an end next month and the big question among majority of Kenyans is, will the Kibaki government extend it considering his frosty relationship with his superiors?

Ali, a career soldier who rose to the rank of brigadier before being seconded to the police force is known to be a no nonsense man who managed to break cartels involving senior police officers with criminals, a move which made him popular with junior policemen and motivated them at the same time.

Unfortunately, criminal gangs got more sophisticated with increased firepower, to an extent where the police were overwhelmed as crime escalated including murders of police officers.

But that was the least of Ali's problems as he had to do deal with insubordination from senior officers including the fired director of criminal investigations department, John Kamau who openly defied his immediate boss and instead took instructions from internal security minister John Michuki.

Matters came to a head last year when Kamau mobilized an elite unit that seems to have included two Armenian mercenaries to raid the Standard newspaper newsroom without the knowledge of Ali who was abroad at the time. Apparently, the raid was sanctioned by Michuki who when asked to comment about it said 'one must be prepared to be bitten by a snake when you rattle it' he quickly got the nickname 'snake me-chuki'

Kamau was fired later on with the insistence of Ali who is reported to have told the president that he couldn't work with the CID boss due to his arrogance and insubordination.

Since then, Ali has not been in good terms with Michuki who could be his boss but cannot fire him since the police commissioner is a presidential appointee.

If these events are anything to go by, there are very slim reasons for Ali's contract to be extended but again, Kibaki has surprised Kenyans with some of his decisions and this being an election year, wananchi can expect anything from the desperate man who will be at pains to account to Kenyans.

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