President William Ruto has nominated Douglas Kanja Kirocho as the new Inspector-General of the National Police Service (NPS) and appointed two Deputy Inspector-Generals, according to a press release from the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Felix K. Koskei.
Kanja, currently the Acting Inspector-General, boasts a nearly four-decade career in law enforcement. His nomination comes as part of a broader restructuring of the NPS’s top command, which includes the appointment of Eliud Kipkoech Lagat as Deputy Inspector General for the Kenya Police Service and Gilbert Masengeli as Deputy Inspector General for the Administration Police Service.
The press release highlighted Kanja’s extensive experience, stating that he “has had a stellar career spanning nearly four decades in law enforcement, during which he rose through the ranks to the top command of the Service.”
His previous roles include Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service, Commandant of the General Service Unit, and various other high-level positions within the NPS.
President Ruto’s actions are in line with Article 245 of the Kenyan Constitution, which outlines the process for appointing the Inspector-General and Deputy Inspector-Generals. The nomination of Kanja will now proceed to both houses of Parliament for consideration.
In the interim, Masengeli has been designated as the acting Inspector-General, ensuring continuity in the leadership of the NPS during the parliamentary review process.
