Police to train cadets in new changes

Interior CS Fred Matiangi inspects a parade mounted by 1,200 police officers at the National Police Service Main Campus, Kiganjo, yesterday. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Cadets will be introduced in the merged National Police Service as part of the ongoing modernisation and reforms.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said beginning next year, selected police officers from the service would be trained as cadets for special duties.

“The first team will be selected and begin a rigorous eight-month course to prepare new leaders for service,” Dr Matiang’i said yesterday during the graduation of 1,224 officers at the Kiganjo Police Training College.

Matiang’i said that future training programmes for police would incorporate a compulsory component of information and communications technology education to hasten digital transition and prepare officers for duty in a modern dynamic environment.

In September last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered that the National Police Service structure be aligned to the unified command structure.

Out of the first team of 1,224 police officers who graduated in the standardisation course, 995 were previously from the Administration Police Service and 229 from the Kenya Police Service.

Matiang’i said the realignment targets will integrate 2,400 officers into the Kenya Police Service.

The CS was accompanied by Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, his deputies Edward Mbugua (Kenya Police), Noor Gabow (AP), Directorate of Criminal Investigations director George Kinoti and Nyeri county leaders led by Governor Mutahi Kahiga.

TAILOR-MADE

“The training was tailored to meet the dynamics in the policing in our contemporary society by sharpening their skills, attitude and knowledge,” said Mutyambai.

He said that model sub-county police stations would be established and officers posted to set standard of policing in the country.

Going forward, Mutyambai said, the merger would see resource persons invited from the civil society, gender-based violence centres, Independent Police Oversight Authority, internal affairs unit, officers of the directorate of public prosecution, senior police officers and national police service commission to lecture participants.

The integration, he said, would create synergy among offices in the service, eliminate wastage, overlapping and duplication of duties. “The training will build teamwork and professionalism,” he said.

The graduation comes after the integration of 24,000 Administration Police Service officers into the Kenya Police Service kicked off on July 12 at Embakasi Police College.