Piece by: CYRUS OMBATI

15 October 2022

• He promised professionalism in his work and urged support from all stakeholders.

• Mohamed Amin has replaced George Kinoti at the helm of DCI.

When he walked to the interview room at the Kenya School of Government to seek to be the next Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss, Mohamed Amin was smiling.

He said he was ready for the task ahead. Amin takes over from George Kinoti who resigned on September 27.

Amin, 58, who was the director of Internal Affairs Unit, was one of the senior most officers who were interviewed for the position.

After a vigorous process, Amin emerged number one after the interviews by the National Police Service Commission.

After the appointment made by president William Ruto, Amin told the Star that he was excited about the new opportunity granted to him.

“We are grateful for all this. We are ready for the next work,” he told the Star on Saturday.

He promised professionalism in his work and urged support from all stakeholders.

But who is Amin?

2007/08 POST VIOLENCE

He served as the Provincial Criminal Investigations Officer between 2006 and 2009 in Rift Valley.

It is during this period that Amin investigated the 2007/08 post poll violence election. Over 1000 people were killed and more than 6000 were displaced.

Amin was at the center of investigation

that followed and ended up at the International Criminal Court.

He went to the Hague and served as a witness in for former Commissioner of Police Major General Hussein Ali.

During the trials at ICC, there were four crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya. Ruto and Joshua arap Sang were also tried. Their case was later terminated in 2016.

Case also involved Henry Kiprono Kosgey. Judges declined to confirm the charges against Kosgey on 23 January 2012.

“He successfully coordinated investigations and prosecution of Post-Election Violence cases in Rift Valley province: 2007-2008,” Amin’s CV read.

SCHOOL

Amin, 58, has masters degree in Criminology and Security Management from Egerton University.

He also has a degree in Criminology and Security Studies from Egerton University and a diploma in international studies from University of Nairobi.

He has a certificate from the National Defence College (First Class Honors).

He has been in the service since he joined police in 1989. He has served as the director of IAU since February 2020 during which he received and investigated dozens of complaints against police.

He has been the head of banking fraud unit at Central Bank, head of DCI in Rift Valley, North Eastern, Central, Western and head of Small Arms and Light Weapons.

He also served at the defunct Anti- Corruption Police Unit in 2002 and as a DCIO at Langata, Kilindini, Thika and Mandera divisions.

When he graduated from Kenya Police College in Kiganjo in 1989 he was deployed to Bungoma and taken to the crime branch and later moved to Pangani in Nairobi in the same office and later to Kasarani.

He also served as the head of operations, investigations units at the DCI headquarters.

CASES

Amin successfully investigated a case involving former Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza versus Rebecca Kerubo and testified before the Judicial Service Commission Sub-committee and the Tribunal chaired by Retired former Chief Justice Augustino Ramadhani in 2012.

He also investigated and prosecuted the murder case of the late Bishop Luigi Locati of Isiolo Diocese and prosecuted a Catholic Priest and five others.

The case is still before High Court, Nairobi, 2005.

He was a member of the National Task Force on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism since 2009 and a member of Multi-Agency Task Force on Post-Election Violence in Kenya since 2012.

His colleagues described him as a dedicated and focused officer.

While this approach increased the visibility of the DCI making it more approachable and a darling of the public, it rubbed some of those in power the wrong way especially when they were under investigations.

The next place the changes are expected is the seat of the Inspector General where commandant of Kenya Police Training Campus Japheth Koome has been named as the next police boss.

More changes are also expected in the other top seats within the service.