Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson (right) and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen (left) pose for a photo with New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch during a benchmarking meeting in New York. The discussions focused on intelligence-led policing, technology integration, emergency response coordination and best practices that will inform the establishment of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU), a joint initiative of the national government and Nairobi County government./HANDOUT
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has begun a high-level security tour in New York as Kenya races to establish a special metropolitan police unit for Nairobi and its surrounding towns.
Murkomen arrived in New York City on Tuesday alongside senior security officials on a learning mission aimed at drawing lessons from the New York Police Department (NYPD), widely regarded as one of the world's most successful urban policing institutions.
The visit is part of a broader international benchmarking exercise that will also take the team to Rome, London and Tokyo as the government finalises plans for the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU).
The proposed unit is expected to strengthen security, maintain public order and tackle emerging criminal threats in Nairobi, one of Africa's fastest-growing metropolitan centres.
“The New York Police Department will offer us insights into intelligence-led and community-orientated policing, technology integration, specialised urban operations, emergency response coordination, and crime prevention strategies, among other areas of our interest,” Murkomen said before the tour.
The initiative follows a directive by President William Ruto in February to establish the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit to combat insecurity and protect the city's economic interests.
With more than 35,000 uniformed officers, the NYPD is the largest municipal police service in the United States and is viewed as a model for effective urban security management.
“We are drawing lessons and best practices from NYPD because it's one of the world's most effective metropolitan police services,” Murkomen said.
Upon arrival, the CS held talks with NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on a proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the Kenya Police Service and the NYPD to support the establishment of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit.
Murkomen was accompanied by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat and other stakeholders involved in the project. Kenya's Ambassador to the United States, David Kerich, was also present.
Kenya has already engaged security officials and city leaders from New York, London and Rome as part of consultations on the proposed policing model.
The unit, expected to focus on smart policing, visible patrols and mandatory body cameras for officers, is scheduled to begin operations in July. However, Sakaja has acknowledged that the ambitious timeline set by President Ruto may not be achieved.
The proposal is also likely to trigger constitutional debate, given that policing remains a function of the national government under Kenyan law.
Despite the challenges, Murkomen expressed confidence in the progress made so far, saying the technical team was working towards creating a “people-facing command structure”.
“I am gratified that the team is learning from some of the best metropolitan police units in the world in coming up with the administrative structure, service standing orders and standard operating procedures,” he said.
“The Unit will strengthen response to emerging security challenges, improve inter-agency collaboration, and promote cooperation between the police and the public.”
The formation of the unit stems from a cooperation agreement between the national government and Nairobi City County aimed at making the capital and its satellite towns safer for residents, visitors and investors.
