Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja with President William Ruto./HANDOUT
The command structure of the proposed Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit was unveiled on Monday amid a rush to operationalise it.
According to the structure, the commander of the unit will report to the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service.
The command structure of the unit had been contentious after it emerged that, in the countries where government officials benchmarked similar models, the police report to local mayors.
The guidance follows a review of proposals on the establishment of the new formation.
Ruto noted that the Constitution provides for the Inspector General of the National Police Service to establish a specialised police formation under the existing framework of Formed Units.
This informed the delays seen in unveiling the unit in July, as had earlier been planned.
Former Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Tom Odero will lead the unit.
Ruto directed that the proposed structure should maintain the constitutional command and control of the National Police Service while strengthening regional coordination within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area.
During the high-level briefing at State House, Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen, accompanied by Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Dr Raymond Omollo, Inspector General Douglas Kanja and his team, as well as the Nairobi Metropolitan Police technical team, presented a progress report on the operationalisation of the unit.
The proposed unit was formed following a comprehensive assessment of Nairobi's urban security landscape, which identified the need for stronger inter-agency coordination, modern technology, enhanced accountability and greater community engagement to address increasingly complex metropolitan security challenges.
The assessment also recognised the importance of strengthening existing enforcement institutions while creating a more integrated and responsive security framework capable of safeguarding businesses, managing traffic, protecting critical infrastructure, supporting emergency response and improving public order.
Under the organisational structure, the metropolitan formation will be headed by a Commandant under the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service and supported by a Deputy Commandant.
Kamukunji Police Station has been identified as the proposed headquarters of the unit and will anchor the Integrated Command and Communication Centre (IC4) to coordinate operations in real time, as well as a Multi-Agency Liaison Office to strengthen coordination with other national and county security agencies.
Operational command will cascade through Sub-Region Commanders and Sub-County Commanders, supported by a network of metropolitan police stations, police posts and patrol bases to enhance police presence and enable a rapid response across Nairobi.
The new formation will also comprise specialised operational units dedicated to key security functions, including Diplomatic Security, Public Safety, the Enforcement Unit, the Traffic Unit, the Investigations Bureau and the Security and Patrol Unit.
The Nairobi Metropolitan Police is expected to strengthen public confidence and support the capital city's continued resilience and global competitiveness.
As Nairobi continues to grow into a regional commercial, financial and diplomatic hub, the government is advancing a modern policing model designed to strengthen public safety, improve service delivery and respond to the evolving security needs of the capital.
