Douglas Kirocho Kanja named new DIG Kenya Police

 

The commandant General Service Unit Douglas Kirocho Kanja is the new Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police. 

Kanja emerged top after interviews by the National Police Service Commission last week. 

He takes over from Edward Mbugua who retired from the service. Kanja, a career police officer, rose through the ranks within the GSU to take over as the commandant of the support unit. He was named the commandant of GSU in 2018. 

The acting DIG Abdallah Komesha was moved back to his former base at the DCI and named the head of investigations bureau. 

He took over from Eliud Lagat who was named the new commandant of GSU. 

The recently named head of operations at Kenya police Nyale Munga was moved to Kiganjo police college and named the commandant. 

The new director of operations at KPS is Ranson Lolmodoni. 

The outgoing commandant of Kiganjo Bruno Shioso was moved and named the Commandant Kenya Coast Guard Service. 

Kanja had served as Kilifi county police boss for years. 

GSU is the single biggest, elite and key unit in police operations with a population of about 12,000.  

The head of operations at GSU was named the commandant of GSU. 

Kanja is a specialist in firearms and has served as the Police Service Chief Armoury.

In 2019, he commanded GSU officers in a rescue mission following the Dusit2 Hotel attack.

The well-coordinated response by his team was widely praised. The first DIG under the 2010 constitution was Grace Kaindi in 2012, followed by Joel Kitili and Edward Mbugua.

He comes into office at a time when the service is facing a number of challenges, which he is familiar with.

They include poor working conditions, low salaries and poor morale.

As the DIG, the holder of the officer is the most powerful as he or she controls almost 70,000 personnel of the more than 100,000 officers under NPS.

The other personnel are in Administration Police Service and DCI.

The DIG KPS is in charge of all eight regional police commanders, 47 county commanders, formation commanders, Sub County Commanders, Officer Commanding Station (OCS) and all uniformed officers.

He also controls the General Service Unit, traffic department and Kenya Police College in Kiganjo.

The new holder of the office will come to office when the service is facing different forms of crisis including financial.

The morale of many officers is low due to among others poor pay and living conditions.

A task force is collecting views on how police welfare will be implemented but many fear the same may not be implemented.

The functions of the DIG in Kenya are crucial for the command of the National Police Service.

Article 245 of the Constitution provides for two positions of Inspector General to head the Kenya Police Service and the Administration Police Service.

The President should appoint each Deputy Inspector General of Police with the recommendation of the National Police Service Commission.

The DIG Kenya Police Service should subject to the direction, command and control of the Inspector-General—be responsible for the effective and efficient day-to-day administration and operations of the Kenya Police Service.

He should also implement policies and directions of NPS in relation to the Kenya Police Service, prepare the budget, planning and provision of support for the service.

He should also establish and maintain police stations, outposts, units or unit bases in the counties and determine the boundaries of the police stations, outposts or unit bases.

Moreover, he should establish a facility in each police station for receiving, recording and reporting of complaints from members of the public.

The DIG should manage, monitor and evaluate KPS, undertake the supervision of the service, co-ordinate training in KPS, provide internal oversight of the service.

Other duties are to establish and maintain a relationship between the Kenya Police Service and the community and improve transparency and accountability in the Kenya Police Service.

He should co-operate and engage in joint security operations with the Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Administration Police Service, other government departments or other security organs to ensure the safety and security of the public.

He should implement the decisions of the Inspector General, issue general, special, routine and standing orders in respect of the KPS and perform such other duties as the Inspector General may assign, or as the NPS Act or by any other written law may prescribe.