Deputy Inspector General of Police Edward Mbugua turned 60 in July 2019, and attained the compulsory retirement age.
However, President Uhuru Kenyatta and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) who were reluctant to appoint his replacement decided to extend Mbugua's elapsed tenure in office for four years.
The extension of Mbugua's term as DIG brought to an end the in-fighting among senior police officers who were eyeing his post.
The initial silence by the NPSC on Mbugua's retirement had escalated temperatures at Vigilance House especially after the DIG had been adversely mentioned in an Ksh700 million property grabbing claim.
Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambia and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i ordered an investigation into the matter, only for NPSC to keep a tight lip on the issue.
A report by Daily Nation stated that NPSC ejected five officers from the service and redeployed them elsewhere.
Officers who were ejected from the force included those in the rank of senior assistant inspector general, a rank Daily Nation reported to be under that of Mbugua and which made them possible candidates in the succession battle for the DIG post.
According to the newspaper, President Uhuru twice appointed outsiders to head the National Police Service and thus infuriated senior police officers.
After the amendment of the National Police Service Act in 2014, and the resignation of David Kimaiyo as IG, Uhuru appointed two outsiders to take charge of the Kenyan Police.
IG Mutyambai and his predecessor Joseph Boinnet both served in the National Intelligence Service, which is a disciplined civilian agency.
