National Police Service unification begins with changes to police command

Inspector General Joseph Boinnet addresses the press at Jogoo house, Nairobi when he unveiled the new police commanders on January 3. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

New eight Regional Police Commanders were on Thursday unveiled as the National Police Service rolled out structural changes to affect at least 200 senior officers.

This saw at least 20 police officers recalled to the headquarters for redeployment.

The new commanders named include Philip Ndolo (Nairobi), Marcus Ochola (Coast), Eunice Kihiko (Eastern), Judy Jebet Lamet (Central), Edward Mwamburi (Rift Valley), Paul Soi (North Eastern), Vincent Makokha (Nyanza) and Rashid Yakub (Western).

The changes mean all current regional commanders from both regular, Administration Police and Directorate of Criminal Investigations have been recalled for redeployment.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet who was accompanied by his deputies Edward Mbugua (Kenya Police) and Noor Gabow (AP), DCI George Kinoti and the National Police Service Commission CEO George Onyango made the announcement.

He said the primary considerations in selecting the new commanders were length and conduct while in service, age, and region as well as gender parity.

“Those officers will henceforth assume full command of all police operations in the regions that they have been posted to and will be responsible for coordinating with commanders to ensure effective, efficient and responsive delivery of policing services in their areas,” he said.

The newly appointed police commissioners. [Courtesy]

Of the beneficiaries three were from APS and one from DCI. He said more changes to affect the county command, Divisions and stations will come as soon as next week.

As part of the planned changes, already all APS camps at Chiefs’ offices and not near police stations are being transformed into police posts following the president’s directive to merge police units on September 13.

The 24,000 APS officers who have been stationed at these camps and have been performing general duty assignments are transiting and joining their Kenya Police Service (KPS) colleagues at police stations, to patrol, prevent and respond to crime in their jurisdiction.

This is in pursuit of three pillars -the command structure and hierarchy, housing and allocation of duties.

The new changes began with the change of the command structure with the collapse of parallel commanders for the APS, KPS and DCI all of the same rank thus making overall command challenging.

The service has been having Assistant Inspector General (AIGs) of the same rank as commanders for regional APS, KPS and DCI commands Commissioners of Police as county commanders for APS, KPS and DCI and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) at Sub County level.

All hierarchy has been removed and there is one senior commander at all levels with the rest a rank junior than the commander.

Although there will still be senior DCI officers at all levels of command, they will be one rank below their General Duty commander.

And all AP camps far from police stations will be transformed into police posts and stations.

All Anti Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) KPS officers have been moved to APS which has been left with four units including ASTU, Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Rural Border Patrol Unit (RBPU) and Critical Infrastructure and Security of Government Buildings unit.

All specialized unit officers who include ASTU, RDU RBPU are being issued with General Service Unit (GSU) like combat uniform as their operational clothing while general duty officers will have the new blue uniforms.

While the specialized units will have the same operation area uniform whose role out is immediate, the general duty uniform will be rolled out gradually because of the huge number of those involved.

Already National Youth Service is making the police uniforms.

Officials say huge camps accommodating more than 200 officers are being established along border points between Mandera, and Lamu making them war fronts.

“They are being equipped with sophisticated guns, night vision to repel terror attacks common along the border,” said those aware of the progress.

Further, General Duty police posts with less than ten officers and which have been targets for Al Shabaab terrorist at the main border are being relocated further inside to serve citizens.

And to reduce wastage, it has been resolved that most of the 3200 leased police vehicles will be available for patrol following the Presidential directive to reduce wastage.

Initially, senior police officers kept vehicles for themselves leaving very few for general duties.

For instance, a review of use of leased vehicles established that 78 leased cars and a similar number of drivers had been allocated to senior police officers in Kiambu and its 12 sub counties leaving very few for patrol.
Of the 3200 leased vehicles, only less that one thousand were available for general duty and patrol countrywide.