Major changes have taken place in the security sector since President William Ruto took over power.
NSC composition
The National Security Council consists of the President, the Deputy President and cabinet secretaries for Defence, Foreign Affairs, Internal Security, the Attorney General, and the Chief of Kenya Defence Forces.
The Director General of the National Intelligence Service and the Inspector General of the National Police Service are also members of the Council.
The President presides over all the meetings of the Council whose mandate is to exercise supervisory control over national security organs and perform any other functions prescribed by Parliament.
Article 240 of the Constitution says the National Security Council shall report annually to Parliament on the state of the security of Kenya.
“The Council may, with the approval of Parliament, deploy national forces outside Kenya for regional or international peace support operations or other support operations and approve the deployment of foreign forces in Kenya,” the law says.
Article 240 (3), (6) and (8) of the Constitution states the functions of the National Security Council in Kenya.
The National Security Council should exercise supervisory control over the national security organs and perform any other functions prescribed by the national legislation.
However, the supervisory function should not extend to operational control of the national security organs.
The national security organs in Kenya are the Kenya Defence Forces, the National Police Service and the NIS.
Security changes in 2023
The former Chief of Defence Forces Gen Robert Kibochi was in 2023 replaced by his then Vice Gen Francis Ogolla.
Lt Gen Jonah Mwangi took over as the Vice Chief of Defence Forces.
Ruto did not change the other service commanders of the Kenya Army, Kenya Airforce and Kenya Navy.
At the NIS, Maj Gen (Rtd) Philip Kameru left for Noordin Haji as the Director General.
Within NIS, several changes were effected to enhance operations at large.
At the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mulele Ing'onga took over as the Director replacing Haji.
In the police, the Kenya Police saw Douglas Kanja take over as the new Deputy Inspector General from Edward Mbugua.
In contrast, Mohamed Amin took over from George Kinoti at the Directorate of Criminal Investigation.
Inner security changes
Within his internal security team, Ruto named Oloonkishu Yiampoy as the Commandant of the Presidential Escort Unit, replacing Josphat Kirimi, while Eliud Lagat replaced Kanja at the General Service Unit.
General Service Unit's G Company got a new commander- Ernest Cheruiyot.
Cheruiyot took over from George Nderitu State House and state lodges are guarded by the officers drawn from the GSU’s G-Company.
The changes, according to insiders, have managed to stabilise the country at large. Incidents of crime and, in particular, terrorism in urban areas have significantly reduced.
The terrorists are concentrating their attacks in areas near the Kenya-Somalia border, where dozens have died in separate attacks this year.
Outcry over Junior police officers reshuffle in Nyanza
In August 2023, the mass transfer of police officers in the Nyanza region was marred with outcry after it emerged that the list was allegedly altered.
Junior officers in other ranks claimed that the transfer list was changed by a secretary attached to a senior police officer in the region.
The reshuffle has affected 1,090 officers from Kisumu, Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, Homa Bay and Siaya counties.
The officers raised complaints of bribery in the transfer that they want to be investigated.
Despite the reshuffling of targeted officers who have overstayed in the region, some of those transferred have not worked in the region for two years.
According to the officers, the transfer list which was forwarded to Vigilance House from the regional police office for approval differs with the one directing them to report immediately to new stations.
Shockingly, an officer who was deployed in the Nyakach subcounty was already dead yet he was among those transferred.
Amongst those affected was an officer who was critically ill. The officers wanted the Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo and Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome to reverse the transfer for appropriate action.
“We are not against transfer but it should be done professionally and with integrity. How can a civilian have more powers in the transfer of the officers?” one of the officers asked then.
NSAC changes
Apart from the NSC, there is also an ad hoc committee of the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) that the Head of Public Service chairs.
Former HOPS Joseph Kinyua was replaced by Felix Koskei.
Apart from HOPS, the other members include military service commanders, police bosses, NIS, PSs for interior, finance, foreign affairs, immigration, AG and SG.
There is a push to remove the military officials from attending the NSAC and replace them with the PS for defence.
At finance, Chris Kiptoo replaced Julius Muia as the PS to enable him to attend the NSAC.
Isebania police station.
In late May 2023, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki shook the security sector after he transferred all police officers to the Isebania police station in the border town.
“We have transferred all police officers from Isebania police, last week we transferred the OCS and his deputy,” Kindiki said.
He said any police officer who used to work at the station would be transferred and “explain their action (on the violent demonstrations) elsewhere”.
Kindiki said after a closed-door security meeting, the problem of insecurity at the border town with Tanzania needed a multiagency approach which is why all government officers at other agencies like Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Anti-Counterfeit and immigration department will also be transferred.
“In the future, we will not only transfer government officers causing pain and suffering to other regions because that will be like transferring a problem, but we will also work on disciplinary action,” Kindiki said.
Traffic officers in Thika and Sagana.
In July, dozens of traffic officers were moved in mass transfers announced by Deputy Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.
The officers targeted those attached to Thika and Sagana stations and affected nearly all officers who served in these two police stations.
Officials said there were complaints the officers had overstayed there. Others had adverse reports of graft, which they denied.
The changes saw some of the officers who served in the traffic departments redeployed to police stations (general duties) in far-flung areas.
Kanja also moved 97 other officers on general duties to various stations in the changes dated July 28.
The transfers came days after Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohammed Amin ordered a massive transfer of all officers who served in Mulolongo and Kitengela DCI offices.
The same case applied in the changes by Amin, where some of the officers were moved to DCI offices away from Nairobi.
For instance, Elena Wamuyu, a long-serving head of traffic in Thika was moved to the general duties and named the new Kiambu head of operations.
Wamuyu, a chief Inspector of Police, is the senior-most officer on the list of transfers.
Moses Bundi was made the new head of traffic in Thika. Bundi was a former deputy station commander at Railways in Kibwezi.
Kiambu head of traffic Wycliffe Makanda was announced as the new head of the crime office at Rioma police in Kisii.
