The Kenya Police Service is a national body in charge of law enforcement in

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

. It is subordinate to the National Police Service which is headed by an Inspector General of Police who exercises independent command over the Service. Kenya Police is headed by Deputy Inspector General. Kenya Police is divided into Service Headquarters in Nairobi, Formations, General Duty Commands and Training Institutions. The

Administration Police The Administration Police Service (APS) is a paramilitary security organization and is a branch of the Republic of Kenya's National Police Service. Overview The APS was formed in 1958 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. It is overseen ...

is commanded through a hierarchy separate from that of the Kenya Police. For other state security bodies see

Law enforcement in Kenya Kenya's National Police Service (NPS) is the umbrella law enforcement organ in Kenya. The service was established in 2011 under Article 243 of the Constitution of Kenya, following dissolution of Kenya Police Force and Administration ...

. Recruitment to the police service is done on yearly basis.

History

The Kenya police force was established as a British colonial police force in 1907. From the 1887 to 1902 policing was provided by the East Africa Trading Company. After 1902 the

Kenya-Uganda Railway The Uganda Railway was a metre-gauge railway system and former British state-owned railway company. The line linked the interiors of Uganda and Kenya with the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa in Kenya. After a series of mergers and splits, the line ...

introduced their own police units. In 1906 the Police Ordinance was established to create a new force in 1907, the Nairobi Mounted Police within the jurisdiction of the

East Africa Protectorate East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was a British protectorate in the African Great Lakes, occupying roughly the same area as present-day Kenya, from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Cont ...

. The current force's name came into effect in 1920 with the newly created British

Kenya Colony The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya, commonly known as British Kenya or British East Africa, was part of the British Empire in Africa from 1920 until 1963. It was established when the former East Africa Protectorate was transformed into a Brit ...

. The colonial force was made up mainly of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

recruits as senior officers and Africans amongst lower ranks. Following Kenya's independence, the British officers were replaced with local Kenyan members.

Structure

General

Kenya Police is divided into General Duty and Formations. General Duty comprises components with regions being the largest and police patrol bases being the smallest. Regional Police Commander is in charge of a Region (formerly

Provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

), County Police Commander is in charge of Officers in the

County A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

(previously called District), Sub-County Police Commander Superintends Sub-County (previously called Division). Officer Commanding Station (OCS) is in charge of a Police Station in a Ward and oversees all its Police Posts and Patrol Bases (Ward Commander).

Formations

The Kenya Police formations/Units are headed by

commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

s/directors, who hold the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General,

Assistant Inspector General of Police Law enforcement in Pakistan () is one of the three main components of the criminal justice system of Pakistan, alongside the judiciary and the prisons. The country has a mix of federal, provincial and territorial police forces with both general ...

(AIG)or

Commissioner of Police A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...

(CP). These formations are listed as under: # General Service Unit (GSU): both headquarters and training school are in

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

; the Commandant is Douglas Kanja who is the current Inspector General of police as of 2025. #Diplomatic Police Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its

headquarters. # # Traffic Police Department: It is headed by a Commandant from its

offices. #
Kenya Police College
It is headed by a Commandant from its headquarters at

Kiganjo Kiganjo is a small town in Kenya's Nyeri county. It hosts the Kenya Police College which is Kenya's main college for police training. Kiganjo also hosts one of the Kenya Cooperative Creameries KCC (now New KCC) and a milk depot for the Brookside ...

in Nyeri County. # # # # Kenya Police Air Wing: It is headed by a Commandant from its

headquarters. #Presidential Escort Unit: It is headed by Commandant from its Statehouse

headquarters. #Railways Police: It is headed by a Commandant from its

headquarters. # # Kenya Police Dog Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its

headquarters. # # Tourist Police Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its offices in Old Nairobi Area Provincial Police headquarters in

. # Kenya Airports Police Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its

headquarters and three divisions (Nairobi, Eldoret, Moi airports). # # Maritime Police Unit: It is headed by a Commanding Officer from its headquarters at

Kilindini Harbour Kilindini Harbour is a large, natural deep-water inlet extending inland from Mombasa, Kenya. It is at its deepest center, although the controlling depth is the outer channel in the port approaches with a dredged depth of . It serves as the harbo ...

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

Police ranks

The Kenya Police wear badges of rank on the shoulders ( Inspector-General –

Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...

) and sleeve (

senior sergeant A Senior sergeant is often a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many nations. It is usually placed above sergeant. Police in Australia and New Zealand use the rank Senior Sergeant as a rank above sergeant, but below an I ...

–

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

) of their uniform to denote their rank. In line with the ongoing reforms, the uniforms committee is also working on new insignia for the revised rank structure, which will have to be approved by the

National Police Service Commission The National Police Service Commission of Kenya is an Independent government Commission established under the Constitution of Kenya to ensure smooth functioning of the National Police Service of Kenya. Membership The current membership of the C ...

. The order of Kenya Police ranks is as follows: # Inspector-General (formerly

) # # Deputy Inspector-General # # Senior Assistant Inspector-General # # Assistant Inspector-General # # Commissioner of Police #

Senior Superintendent Senior superintendent, also police senior superintendent or senior superintendent of police, is a senior rank in police forces used in Brunei, Estonia, Germany, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Lesotho, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and formerly in ...

# #

Superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Building superintendent, a manager, maintenance or repair person, custodian or janitor, especially in the United States; sometimes shortened to "super" *Prison warden or superintendent, a prison administrator *Soprin ...

# #

Assistant Superintendent Assistant superintendent, or assistant superintendent of police (ASP), is a rank that was used by police forces in the British Empire and is still used in many police forces in the Commonwealth. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held ...

# # Chief Inspector # #

# #

Senior Sergeant A Senior sergeant is often a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many nations. It is usually placed above sergeant. Police in Australia and New Zealand use the rank Senior Sergeant as a rank above sergeant, but below an I ...

# #

Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

# # Corporal # #

Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

Former Kenya Police ranks and
Kenya Police – Ranks and Insignia
can be found at this reference.

Commissioners of Police & Inspectors-General

From 1906 to 1964 the force was headed by British officers. In 2012, the position of Inspector General was introduced to head the newly created National Police Service. The current Inspector General is

Douglas Kanja Kirocho Douglas Kanja Kirocho is a Kenyan police officer and the current inspector general of the National Police Service of Kenya. Appointed by President William Ruto William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto (born 21 January 1967) is a Kenyan politi ...

who is the fifth holder of the position. The following officers have to date served in the capacity of Commissioner of Police: * Bernard Hinga 1964–1978 * Ben Gethi 1978–1982 * Bernard Njinu 1982–1988 * Phillip Kilonzo 1988–1993 * Shedrack Kiruki 1993–1996 * Duncan Wachira 1996–1998 * Philemon Abong’o 1998–2002 * Edwin Nyaseda 2002–2003 * Major General Mohammed Hussein Ali 2004–2009 * Mathew Kirai Iteere 2009–2012 * Grace Kaindi 2013-2015 * Joel Kitili 2015-2018 * Edward N. Mbugua 2018 to 2023 * Douglas Kanja Kirocho 2024 to date The following officers have served as Inspector-General: * David Mwole Kimaiyo 2012–2014 * Acting Inspector-General Samuel Arachi Deputy Inpsector General-Administration Police Service 31 December 2014 – 11 March 2015 * Joseph Kipchirchir Boinett 11 March 2015 – March 2019 * Hillary Nzioki Mutyambai 8 April 2019

Ongoing changes

Following the promulgation of the new Constitution of Kenya on 27 August 2010, as laid down in Chapter 17 Part 4, the Kenyan police forces is undergoing a series of reforms. Hence called ''The Kenya Police Service'', it is now headed by a Deputy Inspector-General and the division of its functions are organised to take into account the devolved structure of government in Kenya. In the ongoing changes that started in 2018, police operational command was aligned police with existing administrative boundaries to create a unified command as follows:- 1. Regional Police Commander (RPC) 2. County Police Commander (CPC) 3. Sub County Police Commander (SPC) 4. Officer in charge Police Station ( OCS) The following positions were therefore abolished:- 1. APS Regional Commander 2. KPS Regional Commander 3. DCI Regional Commander 4. County Coordinating Commander 5. KPS County Commander 6. APS County Commander 7. DCI County Commander 8. APS Sub County Commander 9. DCI Sub County Commander 10. KPS Officer Commanding Police Divisions 11.District Administration Police Commander Consequently, the number of commanders were reduced from 168 to 56 Commanders.

Equipment

The equipment of the Kenya Police and General Service Unit (GSU), a paramilitary wing of the Kenyan Police, comprises: Aircraft * 2 Cessna fixed wing aircraft (United States), the latest (2011) being a

Cessna 208 Caravan The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargoma ...

light aircraft * 1 AS350 B3e Ecureuil helicopter (France) (January 2012), June 2012, crashed, total loss, with 6 fatalities. Kenyan Police Air Wing AS 350 Potters-1

* 4

Mil Mi-17 The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories in Russia, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russ ...

helicopters (Russia) Kenyan Police Mil Mi-17 UA-320-1

* 4

Bell 206 The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- and twin-engined helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec, plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter progr ...

helicopters (United States) * 3 AW139 helicopters (Italy), one of which crashed without fatalities resulting in being written off * 1 AW119 Koala helicopter (Italy) Weapons *

G3 Rifle The Heckler & Koch G3 () is a select-fire battle rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO developed in the 1950s by the German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch, in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned firearms manufacturer CETME. The G3 w ...

* AK-47 Rifle * MP5 Submachine Gun * Scorpion EVO 3 A1 Submachine gun * M16 assault rifles *

M4 carbine The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by the US mi ...

s *

Glock Pistol Glock (; stylized as GLOCK) is a brand of polymer- framed, short-recoil-operated, striker-fired, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military an ...

Browning Pistol Browning Arms Company (originally John Moses and Matthew Sandefur Browning Company) is an American marketer of firearms and fishing gear. The company was founded in Ogden, Utah, in 1878 by brothers John Moses Browning (1855–1926) and M ...

* Jericho 94 Pistol * CZ 75 Pistol *

M79 grenade launcher The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40 mm grenade, 40×46mm grenade, which uses what the US Army calls the High-Low System, High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and ...

s *

M67 recoilless rifle The M67 recoilless rifle is a 90 mm (3.55 inch) anti-tank recoilless rifle made in the United States and later in South Korea. It could also be employed in an anti-personnel role with the use of the M590 antipersonnel round. It was design ...

Vehicles * 30 VN-4 Armoured Personnel Carriers (GSU) *Troop carrying vehicles *Buses *Vans *Patrol cars – 4 x 4 *Water Cannons *Patrol Cars-saloon *Surveillance Vehicles 4 × 4 with radio *Motorcycles *M/Vs Civil disturbance * * *Break downs/ Recovery Vehicles *Fire Engines *Water Bowsers *Fuel Tankers *Boats *

Societal impact

Following concerns about human right abuses by the Kenya Police, efforts are being made to reform the force. Some Kenyan policemen face challenges with their housing that has not been expanded or renovated since the 1970s. These challenges have resulted to corruption and crime. Extortion and bribery are known practices and the Kenyan people rank the police among the most corrupt bodies in the country. In July 2010, the Minister,

George Saitoti George Musengi Saitoti, State Commendations of Kenya, E.G.H. (3 August 1945 – 10 June 2012) was a Kenyan politician, businessman and American- and British-trained economist, mathematician and development policy thinker. As a mathematician, ...

, announced a 28% pay increase for junior officers and a 25% pay increase for senior officers. This reform means that the most junior officer, a police constable, shall receive KSh.21,000/= per month including allowances.

References

External links

Kenya Police website

Administration Police
{{DEFAULTSORT:Police Law enforcement agencies of Kenya Organizations established in 1920