The new Inspector General Douglas Kanja Kirocho takes office today with a full in-tray, and is expected to deal with the heightening tension between the service and the Judiciary, redeem the image of the Service, deal with banditry and terror threats in the country.
During his inaugural address as the IG yesterday, Kanja maintained that the service does not and will not condone abductions and will instead thrive to be a professional service guided by the rule of law.
The career police officer now becomes the fifth IG of the National Police Service under the 2010 Constitution after he was sworn in yesterday morning at the Supreme Court.
After the swearing in, Kanja proceeded to the State House for the investiture of rank, a ceremony that involves formal conferment of badges of rank and the handing over of the instruments of power including the Constitution, the Service Standing Orders, the cap, and the NPS flag.
PPresident William Ruto said the new IG
has the responsibility as the commander to protect the NPS from any manner of manipulation, intimidation or blackmail and to ensure that everyone respects the laws of the land without status or any form of entitlement.
The joint committee of National Assembly Administration and Internal Security and Senate Internal Security, Defence and Foreign Relations earlier vetted and approved Kanja.
Baringo Senator William Cheptumo, who chairs the Senate Internal Security and Defence Committee, moved the motion, which was unanimously endorsed by Senators on August 20.
Kanja, then the Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Kenya Police Service was initially appointed the acting IG after the former IG Japhet Koome resigned. On July 25, President Ruto nominated Kanja as the new IG.
Following this nomination, Kanja was replaced by the DIG Administration Police Service (APS) Gilbert Masengeli, who has since then been the acting IGP.
His journey to the helm of the police service began from a humble beginning as a Police Constable.
His current position is a culmination of a long journey that started way back in 1985 when he joined the Kenya Police Force for the Basic Recruits Training Course at the then General Service Unit (GSU) Training School, now the National Police College – Embakasi ‘B’ Campus.
Kanja’s wide experience in operations saw him deployed as the Joint Operations Commander in the Operation Linda Boni for a period of two years, 2016-2018.
He was later appointed as the fourth Deputy Inspector General (IG) of the Kenya Police Service (KPS) in 2023.
With close to four decades of experience in law enforcement, Kanja has risen through the ranks from police constable to the top position of Inspector General. He has undergone specialized training both locally and internationally, enhancing his leadership and operational skills within the National Police Service.
Kanja’s work has not gone unnoticed. He was awarded the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS), one of the highest honours bestowed by the President for exemplary service to the nation.
One of Kanja’s notable moments came in 2019 during the Dusit2 Hotel terror attack in Nairobi. As the GSU Commandant, he led a team of officers in the rescue operations, successfully repelling the attackers and saving lives.
The first IG was David Kimaiyo who resigned on December 2, 2014 just a few hours after the Mandera dawn massacre that claimed 36 lives. Kimaiyo however maintained that his resignation was not as a result of the then rise in insecurity in the country.
“The security challenges in the country need concerted efforts with all the stakeholders. These are challenging times, especially with the current trend of international terror. We are at war as a country but we cannot relent,” he said when he resigned.
