President William Ruto has made it clear time and again that under his watch, there will be no extrajudicial killings.
It is good the President has openly condemned police excesses. And this statement from the President sets the tone for whoever becomes the next Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss.
So far 10 candidates, out of the 253 who applied to succeed George Kinoti, have been shortlisted.
The change of guard at the DCI is happening at a time when cases of extrajudicial killings have been on the rise, despite a national outcry from public and human rights lobby groups.
It is against this backdrop that the incoming DCI boss must be a person who will uphold the rule of law as opposed to rule of the jungle.
Police and security officers get frustrated by the fact that notorious criminals end up in the streets after being given soft bonds or bail by the courts.
However, even with the frustrations, nothing that can justify strangling a Kenyan like chicken and throwing the body in River Yala.
Our Constitution respects the sanctity of life and allows everyone the right to be heard before a court of law. The police must by all means uphold the provisions of the Constitution and desist from senseless killings.
Leadership flows from the head. For this reason, the new DCI boss must in no uncertain terms warn his officers against engaging in extrajudicial killings.