President Ruto on Thursday, September 19, 2024, formally appointed Douglas Kirocho Kanja as the next Inspector General of the National Police Service. This follows his approval by the National Assembly and the Senate.
Before he was appointed the IG of police, Douglas Kanja briefly served as the acting IG, following the resignation of Japhet Koome. Koome was pushed out of the top cop position following the anti-government protests, where hundreds of youths were injured, abducted, and killed.
Read more about Douglas Kanja’s Biography.
Previous positions
Kanja served as the immediate former Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police under former IG Japhet Koome.
During his nearly four decades tenure in the police service, Kanja has risen from a police constable to the top cop in Kenya.
Kanja also served as the Commandant of the General Service Unit for 5 years, Deputy Commandant of the GSU for three years, and the County police boss in Kilifi Country.
His gazettement
President Ruto appointed Kanja as the next Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service and forwarded his name for gazettement. According to the Kenya Gazette notice, Kanja will serve for a term of four years.
“I William Ruto appoint Douglas Kanja Kirocho to be the Inspector General of the National Police Service for a term of 4 years,” the gazette notice reads.
Kanja is scheduled to take an oath of office in State House before he takes over from the Acting IG Gilbert Masengeli. Once Kanja is sworn into office, Masengeli will go back to his position as the Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police.
Full in-tray
As Kanja prepares to take over the helm of the Kenya Police Service, he will be required to deal with various issues affecting the police service, including corruption, inadequate resources, mental health issues among officers, and the proposed Maraga reforms.
Additionally, Kanja will be briefed about the ongoing investigations by IPOA and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution concerning people killed during the financial bill protests, and people missing mysterious abductions.
He takes over at a time when the acting IG Masengeli has been jailed for six months for failing to honor seven court summons to explain the whereabouts of three missing men. The three include Bob Njagi, Jamil, and Aslam Longton, and they were abducted in Kitengela by people believed to be officers of the National Police Service.