Kamukunji Police Station has been selected as the proposed headquarters of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU), marking another milestone in the government's plans to establish a specialised policing outfit for the capital.
The station will be transformed into a modern security complex incorporating operational offices, police housing and the Integrated Command and Communication Centre (IC4), which will support real-time coordination, communication and surveillance across Nairobi City County.
The development follows a site assessment conducted by Secretary for Internal Security Thomas Sakah, who led a multi-agency technical team to determine the station's suitability for the project.
The team comprised representatives from the Kenya Defence Forces, Kenya Police Service, Administration Police Service, Nairobi City County Government and the State Department for Housing and Urban Development.
Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin in August.
According to the government, Kamukunji was identified because it sits within one of Nairobi's busiest commercial districts, an area that reflects the city's position as Kenya's commercial and financial hub while also presenting complex urban security challenges.
The planned headquarters will serve as the operational nerve centre of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit, bringing together command functions, communication systems and accommodation for officers under one facility.
The latest development comes weeks after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen received a progress briefing from the technical team tasked with establishing the specialised police unit.
At
the time, the ministry said the team was finalising the unit's operational framework while ensuring officers would be adequately equipped and trained to respond to emerging security threats and work closely with communities to maintain law and order.
The government has indicated that the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit is intended to become a model for future metropolitan policing in Kenya, with similar formations expected to be rolled out in other major urban centres.
Plans to operationalise the unit have been underway since President William Ruto directed its establishment in February in response to evolving security challenges facing Nairobi as one of Africa's fastest-growing metropolitan areas.
The framework seeks to strengthen collaboration between residents, community leaders, security agencies and the county government by promoting community-led policing, intelligence-led operations and greater accountability.
The government has also said officers attached to the specialised unit will utilise technology, including body-worn cameras, enhanced surveillance systems and smart policing approaches to improve public safety and emergency response.
The NMPU framework draws from benchmarking visits undertaken by senior government officials and police commanders to metropolitan police services in New York, London, Rome and Tokyo, where they studied urban policing, emergency response, community engagement and the use of technology in combating crime.
The government has also said officers attached to the specialised unit will utilise technology, including body-worn cameras, enhanced surveillance systems and smart policing approaches to improve public safety and emergency response.
The NMPU framework draws from benchmarking visits undertaken by senior government officials and police commanders to metropolitan police services in New York, London, Rome and Tokyo, where they studied urban policing, emergency response, community engagement and the use of technology in combating crime.
Kamukunji Police Station selected as the proposed headquarters of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU)/HANDOUT
Kamukunji Police Station selected as the proposed headquarters of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU)/HANDOUT
