100 senior APs moved to Kenya police in changes, named as commanders

More than 100 senior Administration Police (AP) officers were at the weekend moved to the Kenya Police Service (KPS).

The changes are in line with earlier plans to have almost 24,000 AP personnel join the Kenya Police, as well as the adoption of a new uniform for more than 65,000 officers.

Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Noor Gabow released a list of 139 chief inspectors in the service and announced they had been redeployed to the KPS and named either as officers commanding police posts, or staff officers in charge of administration.

In the memo dated June 1, Gabow wished the team the best in their new roles.

Each of the country’s 290 constituencies, or sub-counties, have been designated as police divisions under the command of a sub-county police commander.

Previously, all divisions were under Officers Commanding Police Divisions (OCPDs).

To further strengthen police command at the grassroots, all chiefs' camps, which were initially manned by APs, were converted into police posts.

Each of the wards across the country will also have a police station under the command of a ward police commander, who will replace the former officer commanding station (OCS).

Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai had pledged that competence and professionalism would guide the deployment of OCS across the country.

All KPS officers in the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) have been moved to the Administration Police, which comprises four units. These include the ASTU, Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Border Patrol Unit (BPU) and Critical Infrastructure and Security of Government Buildings Unit.

The officers in these four units will be issued with General Service Unit-like combat uniform while general duty officers will wear the new blue uniforms.