The National Police Service (NPS) has established several new specialized police formations under its amended organizational structure, in a move aimed at strengthening policing, improving operational efficiency and enhancing service delivery across the country.
This was officially announced in a gazette notice issued by Inspector General of police Douglas Kanja.
The new formations include the Nairobi Metropolitan Police, the Judiciary Police Unit, the Quick Response Unit, and the Kenya Police Marine Unit.
The Nairobi Metropolitan Police will coordinate policing and security operations within the Nairobi metropolitan area to address the region’s unique security challenges and support integrated law enforcement.
The Judiciary Police Unit has been created to enhance security within the Judiciary by providing dedicated protection for courts, judicial officers, court users and judicial facilities.
The Quick Response Unit will serve as a rapid deployment team to respond to emergencies, high-risk incidents and other situations requiring immediate police intervention.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Police Marine Unit will strengthen security and law enforcement along the country’s coastal waters, lakes and other inland waterways, supporting efforts to combat marine crime, improve water safety and secure Kenya’s maritime interests.
The new formations are part of broader reforms under the amended National Police Service organizational structure, which seeks to modernize policing, improve coordination among specialized units and enhance the Service’s capacity to respond to emerging security threats across the country.
The command structure of the proposed Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit was unveiled last week.
The commander of the unit will report to the Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police.
The command of the unit had been contentious after it emerged the places where government officials benchmarked for the same have police reporting to the local mayors.
President William Ruto directed the establishment of the formation proposed for the new metropolitan police to transform policing across the Nairobi Metropolitan Area through a modern, technology-driven and highly mobile operational model.
The guidance follows a review of proposals on the establishment of the new formation, where, according to insiders Ruto noted that the Constitution provides for the Inspector General of the National Police Service to establish a specialized police formation under the existing framework of Formed Units.
Tom Odero will lead the unit.
The President directed that the proposed structure should maintain the constitutional command and control of the National Police Service while strengthening regional coordination within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area.
The proposed Unit is formed after a comprehensive assessment of Nairobi’s urban security landscape, which identified the need for stronger inter-agency coordination, modern technology, enhanced accountability and greater community engagement to address increasingly complex metropolitan security challenges.
The assessment also recognized the importance of strengthening existing enforcement institutions while creating a more integrated and responsive security framework capable of safeguarding businesses, traffic management, protecting critical infrastructure, supporting emergency response and improving public order.
Under the organizational structure, the metropolitan formation will be headed by a Commandant under the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service and supported by a Deputy Commandant.
Kamukunji Police Station has been identified as the proposed headquarters of the Unit and will anchor the Integrated Command and Communication Centre (IC4), to coordinate operations in real time and a Multi-Agency Liaison Office to strengthen coordination with other national and county security actors.
Operational command will cascade through Sub-Region Commanders and Sub-County Commanders, supported by a network of metropolitan police stations, police posts and patrol bases to enhance police presence and rapid response within Nairobi.
The new formation will also comprise specialized operational units dedicated to key security functions, including Diplomatic Security, Public Safety, Enforcement Unit, Traffic Unit, Investigations Bureau and the Security and Patrol Unit.
The Nairobi Metropolitan Police is expected to strengthen public confidence and support the capital city’s continued resilience and global competitiveness.
As Nairobi continues to grow into a regional, commercial, financial and diplomatic hub, the Government is advancing a modern policing model designed to strengthen public safety, improve service delivery and respond to the evolving security needs of the capital.
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