President William Ruto will on Tuesday receive the top four names of candidates for the position of Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police.

The National Police Service Commission was supposed to meet the President last Thursday for the ceremony but he was not available, officials said.

They were told to be ready for the mission Tuesday during which they will hand over the names to Ruto to make an appointment.

The President will choose and gazette the new DIG KPS from the four top candidates.

The commission retreated last Tuesday to vote and collate the top performers ahead of the planned meeting with the President.

Multiple sources said General Service Unit commandant Douglas Kanja emerged top, followed by director of operations Kenya Police Service Nyale Munga, then director of the Internal Affairs Unit David Birech came third and director of personnel Kenya police Jacinta Muthoni was fourth.

The wait has caused anxiety in the service.

The expected appointment follows the retirement of Edward Mbugua last month.

Twelve senior police officers were shortlisted for the position and were interviewed at the Kenya School of Government.

Among those interviewed included Eastern regional police commander Rono Bunei, former Nyanza regional police commander Vincent Makokha, Kenya Airports Police Unit commandant Maurice Kipkoech, and director of personnel Inspector General’s office Rosemary Kuraru.

Others include acting DIG Abdalla Komesha, director of gender Judy Jebet, Rift Valley regional police commander Tom Odera and commandant of Kenya police college, Kiganjo, Bruno Shioso.

They were asked about general policing issues, finance, management and human rights.

As the DIG, the holder of the officer is the most powerful as he or she controls almost 70,000 personnel of the more than 100,000 officers under NPS.

The other personnel are in Administration Police Service and DCI.

The DIG KPS is in charge of all eight regional police commanders, 47 county commanders, formation commanders, subcounty commanders, officer commanding station (OCS) and all uniformed officers.

He also controls the General Service Unit, Traffic Department and Kenya Police College in Kiganjo.

The new holder of the office comes at a time when the service is facing different forms of crisis including financial.

The morale of many officers is low due to, among others, poor pay and living conditions.

A task force is collecting views on how police welfare will be implemented but many fear the same may not be implemented.

The first DIG under the 2010 Constitution was Grace Kaindi in 2012 then came Joel Kitili and Mbugua.

The functions of the DIG in Kenya are crucial for the command of the National Police Service.

Article 245 of the Constitution provides for two positions of Inspector General to head the Kenya Police Service and the Administration Police Service.

The President should appoint each Deputy Inspector General of Police with the recommendation of the National Police Service Commission.

The DIG Kenya Police Service should subject to the direction, command and control of the Inspector General, be responsible for the effective and efficient day-to-day administration and operations of the Kenya Police Service.

He should also implement policies and directions of NPS in relation to the Kenya Police Service, prepare the budget, planning and provision of support for the service.

He should also establish and maintain police stations, outposts, units or unit bases in the counties and determine the boundaries of the police stations, outposts or unit bases.

Moreover, he should establish a facility in each police station for receiving, recording and reporting of complaints from members of the public.

The DIG should manage, monitor and evaluate KPS, undertake the supervision of the service, co-ordinate training in KPS, and provide internal oversight of the service.

Other duties are to establish and maintain a relationship between the Kenya Police Service and the community and improving transparency and accountability within the Kenya Police Service.

He should co-operate and engage in joint security operations with the Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Administration Police Service, other government departments or other security organs to ensure the safety and security of the public.

He should implement the decisions of the Inspector General, issue general, special, routine and standing orders in respect of the KPS and perform such other duties as the Inspector General may assign, or as the NPS Act or by any other written law may prescribe.