The Nairobi region now has a new police commander who may oversee operations in the planned referendum and the 2022 general elections.
The new regional police commander is Augustine Nthumbi who took over from Rashid Yakub.
This follows the promotion of Yakub to the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General of police (SAIG).
Nthumbi who was also promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of police has been serving as the Central regional police boss.
Yakub was moved to Kenya Police headquarters and named the director of operations.
The new Central region police commander will be Titus Karuri who has been acting as the director of operations at Vigilance House.
Nthumbi took over the mantle in Nairobi yesterday at a brief ceremony and asked for cooperation among officers to manage the city.
He is an ex-General Service Unit officer and has served in Mombasa, Kasarani, Meru and other police commands.
On Monday, Inspector General of police Hilary Mutyambai announced the National Police Service Commission had approved the promotion of his principal assistant Gideon Munga Nyale, deputy director of National Air Support Department (NASD) Rodgers Mbithi, the director of the Internal Affairs Unit Mohamed Amin and Yakub to the rank of SAIG.
Also promoted to the rank of SAIG included the head of Border Patrol Unit college in Kanyonyo Abdulahi Aden, Railways Police commandant Peter Ndung’u, head of logistics at Administration Police Masood Mwinyi and director of personnel at Kenya police headquarters Boniface Maingi.
Other officers were also promoted to the rank of the Assistant Inspector General of police (AIG) in the changes.
They include head of Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Nairobi Bernard Nyakwaka, Nyanza regional police commander Karanja Muiruri, Nthumbi, head of logistics at Mutyambai’s office Patrick Ndunda and DCI’s deputy director of investigations bureau Carey Nyawinda.
More senior police officers were promoted from the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to Commissioner of Police (CP). They include 26 Sub County Commanders popularly known as Officers Commanding Police Division (OCPDs).
This means the OCPDs will be moved to different sections where those of the rank of CP serve. All OCPDs are supposed to be of the rank of CP.
More than 60 other officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) were equally promoted in the changes affecting all three services – DCI, APS and KPS.
Some 17 others were promoted from the rank of CP to Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).
Dozens of other officers were promoted from the ranks of Chief Inspector to Assistant Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent to Superintendent and Superintendent to SSP.
Among the SSPs promoted include the deputy commander of Recce squad Jack Ekakoro, Dominic Kisavi (police headquarters), police pilot Samuel Chege, OCPDs Mathew Mangira (Railways), Joseph Kavoo (Changamwe), Michael Muchiri (Kiambaa), Beatrice Kiraguri (Thika West), Alphonse Kimanthi (Kwanza), Geoffrey Maiyek (Nyahururu), Francis Nguli (Matuga), Vitalis Otieno (Kilimani), Mark Wanjala (Central) and Joshua Suiyanka (Turkana West).
Others are Charles Wambugu (Embu West), Robinson Mboloi (Imenti South), Juda Gwiyo (Makadara), Wilson Ngoriarita (Githunguri), Henry Onyango (Igembe South), Benjamin Ongombe (Kinangop), Peter Katam (Kisumu Central) and Patrick Kingori (Imenti Central). Police pilots James Mwangi, Philip Onyango and Richard Chepchilat were also promoted.
Machakos county police commander Issa Mohammed, Mandera’s George Seda, Zachary Kimani (Nyandarua), Hilary Kibet (Wajir) and Samuel Anampiu (Kisumu) were also confirmed as CP.
Officials said Mutyambai would announce more changes soon. Two weeks ago, Mutyambai ordered the reshuffle of dozens of Ward Commanders popularly known as Officers Commanding Station (OCS).
This followed complaints some of them had overstayed at their stations for long. To further strengthen police command at the grassroots, all chiefs' camps, which were initially manned by APs, were converted into police posts.
Each of the wards across the country now has a police station under the command of a ward police commander, who replaced the former OCS.
The police boss said stations are the major service delivery points to the members of the public who require services.
He also added that officers commanding various police stations together with their deputies will be picked from across the services based on their performances. OCSs' are the main drivers of police service in the service.