Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has received a progress update from the technical team tasked with establishing the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit.
According to the ministry, the team is refining the Unit’s operational framework while ensuring officers will be adequately equipped and trained to tackle emerging security threats and work closely with the public to maintain law and order.
“The Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit will be a model for future policing in Kenya. We must therefore get it right,” Murkomen said.
The briefing was attended by Inspector General Douglas Kanja, Mohamed Amin, Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, Deputy Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli, Internal Security Secretary Thomas Saka, and Nairobi City County Head of Law Enforcement and Inspectorate Services Eva Wangechi, alongside other stakeholders.
The proposed head of the unit will be Tom Odera who is a seasoned police officer.
Plans were to roll out the unit operations from July 1 but indications are there are delays.
The government had conducted international benchmarking missions in cities such as New York and London as it develops the framework, operating procedures, and command structure for the new unit, which is expected to serve as a model for similar metropolitan police formations in other major Kenyan cities.
As one of Africa's fastest growing metropolitan centres, Nairobi has in recent years faced evolving and increasingly complex security threats.
In response, President William Ruto in February directed the establishment of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU) to combat insecurity and safeguard economic interests in the city.
The unit, expected to begin operations by July, will focus
on smart policing, visible patrols, and mandatory body cameras for officers.
