Koome meets police chiefs amid changes

IG Japheth Koome (right) with Intrior CS Kithure Kindiki, DIGs Edward Mbugua and Noor Gabow, and DCI chief Mohammed Amin. [Kelly Ayodi, Standard]

Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome Tuesday held his first meeting with senior police commanders, where he outlined his vision.

According to sources, some of the issues discussed included ways of dealing with crime, discipline in the National Police Service as well as tacking corruption that is endemic in the service.

The meeting at the Administration Police Training College in Embakasi, which comes three days after taking over, was also a chance for the now boss to know his team.

Those in attendance were all service commanders among them Deputy Inspector Generals Edward Mbugua and Noor Gabow, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations chief Mohammed Amin.

The issue of the return of a new DCI special unit to replace the disbanded one is also said to have been discussed.

Hours before the meeting, the IG had announced changes in the top levels touching 13 officers.

The DCI head of personnel, Abdalla Komesha, was named the Senior Deputy Principal to the IG.

Komesha replaces Nyale Munga, who deputised former IG Hilary Mutyambai. Nyale was moved to Vigilance House and named the director of Police Reforms.

Koome also moved Baringo County Police Commander Adamson Bungei to Nairobi to take over from James Mugera who has retired. Bungei left the AP service in 2019 and named the Buruburu boss. He was then transferred to Nairobi Central, Turkana Central and later Baringo.

Earlier, acting DIG Noor Gabow had moved Manase Musyoka, who was the Central Region police chief, to Nairobi.

At the Directorate of Operations, Koome appointed former GSU Deputy Commander Boniface Maingi as the new head. Maingi served as the head of personnel. This position has now been taken over by Jecinta Muthoni, who has moved from Reforms docket.

Judy Lamet, who was the Director of Child Protection Unit at Vigilance House, will now deputise Maingi.

Rashid Yakub, who until yesterday was the head of Operations, is the director of Community Policing.

Patrick Ndunda has been transferred from the IG's seat at the Jogoo House to the DCI headquarters, but is yet to be assigned a new role.

The sources said more changes are expected in the coming days.

The changes come amid concerns of rising crime, especially in Nairobi. On Monday, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki announced that the Government would be reorganising the security command in the city.

"Those boys who have dared the government and want to tell us that they can take over Nairobi and make it a city of crime, we have heard you and therefore we are coming effective immediately," he said.

In his first press brief, Koome warned that the force would crack down on robbers.

"I have issued a one-month notice to those in possession of illegal firearms to surrender them. Our Governor [Johnson Sakaja] has revealed to us that there are youths who have been reaching out to him expressing their willingness to surrender the illegal weapons. We welcome that," he said after meeting Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.