The Commandant of the General Service Unit (GSU), Johana Kiplangat Tonui, and his counterpart at the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU), Paul Maingo Mumo, are among more than 2,000 police officers promoted to higher ranks in latest changes.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja announced the promotions on Thursday following a day-long meeting with his two deputies, Eliud Lagat of the Kenya Police Service (KPS) and Gilbert Masengeli of the Administration Police Service (APS), as well as Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin.
Officials said Kanja is on Monday scheduled to chair a police service board where he is expected to announce the promotion of more officers from the rank of Constable to Assistant Inspector General of Police.
Kanja directed service commanders to identify vacant positions within their jurisdictions and other areas with gaps that need to be filled and shortlist names of individuals qualifying to fill them.
The names are supposed to be forwarded to his office by Monday morning for action.
The promotions come a week after the Court of Appeal upheld a High Court ruling affirming that the power to recruit police officers rests with the Inspector General of Police and not the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).
The commission has indicated it will appeal the matter at the Supreme Court escalating the standoff.
In a judgment delivered on October 16, 2026, the court dismissed appeals challenging the commission’s mandate, ruling that Article 246(3) of the Constitution empowers the NPSC to recruit civilian staff serving within the National Police Service but does not extend to uniformed officers.
The judges noted that uniformed officers fall under the independent command of the Inspector General, whose office is protected from external directions on matters relating to the employment, assignment, promotion, suspension or dismissal of police officers under Article 245(4)(c) of the Constitution.
Among those promoted, six officers were elevated to the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police (SAIG), including Mumo and Tonui.
The other four are Philip Achola Opiyo, (Director of Operations at the KPS), Samson Kiptum, (operations DCI), National Criminal Investigations Academy commandant Ibrahim Jilo and and Security of Government Buildings commandant Aggrey Shamala.
The SAIG rank is one level below Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and two levels below the Inspector General.
Several officers were also promoted to Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).
They include director of the DCI’s Anti-Narcotics Unit Samuel Laboso, Violet Makhanu of the DCI’s training department, Peter Ngondu Munyotu, Everlyne Mbugua of the counselling unit, Reuben Kangongo Kemboi, William Kipto Sawe, Dickens Njogu Muriuki (commandant of the GSU Training School), the Traffic Department commandant Benjamin Mwanthi, Stephen Odhiambo Okere, director of homicides at the DCI Martin Nyuguto, the DCI’s director of corporate communications John Kimathi Marete and Mweni Mutisya of the Interpol Nairobi bureau.
Agostino Kitony, director of legal affairs at the DCI, was promoted from Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to Commissioner of Police (CP).
Tonui’s security and academic background
Tonui previously served in the Directorate of Operations and as director of Wildlife Security at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
He holds a Master of Arts degree in Leadership and Security Management from Kenyatta University.
His academic research focused on policing and organisational performance. His thesis was titled Participatory Supervision and its Influence on Work Performance in the Kenya Police Service: The Case of Machakos County (2010–2017).
Kanja said officers concerned had successfully undertaken the requisite promotional courses and met all the prescribed conditions for advancement.
He urged the newly promoted officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and diligence in the performance of their duties.
He emphasised that promotion carries with it greater responsibility and calls upon the officers to discharge their mandate with fairness, accountability and respect for the rule of law.
“These promotions will significantly enhance operational efficiency and improve service delivery to the public, in line with the Service’s ongoing reforms and strategic objectives,” he said.
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