Two of Nairobi’s largest slums will have police stations under a new structure announced by Inspector General Joseph Boinnet.
Boinnet abolished 16 police divisions and replaced them with 11 subcounty police headquarters, most of them with head offices in former AP divisional headquarters.
Six police commands previously known as divisions - Kilimani, Nairobi Central, Karen, Kayole, Gigiri and Buru Buru - were merged in the reorganisation announced on Tuesday. Four new ones were established. They are Westlands, Njiru, Mathare and Kamukunji.
Central was merged with Starehe with the head office at Kariokor under the command of Stanley Atavachi. Mathare which had been under Starehe division was served by Muthaiga and Huruma police stations. It will be headed by Alice Kimeli who will be based at AP’s Security of Government Buildings Unit camp along Juja Road.
The expansive Kibra slum, previously served by Kilimani and Lang’ata police stations, will have two police stations while Mathare will have one. Kayole and Gigiri divisions were abolished.
Parts of Kayole were forked out to Embakasi and Njiru while Gigiri is now under Westlands with the head office on Waiyaki Way near the Safaricom building. Richard Munguai, previously the Gigiri OCPD, is the new SCPC for Westlands.
Dagoretti police headquarters will be at Riruta police station where George Senda remains as the SCPC. Previously the offices were at Kambete police station which is now under Westlands subcounty.
Embakasi police headquarters was moved to Komarock where former Embakasi OCPD Ochieng Mangira will be the boss. Wilson Kosingei is the new Njiru subcounty police commander.
Boinnet created Kamukunji subcounty police command with headquarters at the Kamukunji police station under Adams Bungei.
Kasarani remains the head office of divisional commander Peter Gitau. He replaces Robinson Mboloi, who was transferred to Imenti North.
James Mutugo heads Makadara
subcounty police headquarters based at former subcounty AP commander’s offices next to the law courts. Makadara had been under Industrial Area police division.
Buru Buru was forked out to Starehe, Kamukunji and Embakasi while Karen is now under Lang’ata. Former OCPDs who headed the abolished divisons have been redeployed.
All AP and Kenya Police Service officers will report to the new subcounty bosses. Several police posts including International House have been closed.
The reorganisation is aimed at settling the administration challenges that placed different police oficers in the same region under different commanders.
Kibra is the biggest gainer. The subcounty did not have a single police station, only an AP camp and several AP posts. Police in each ward, irrespective of the service, will be headed by a ward commander.
Railways and ports police stations were removed with officers to serve under the new commands.