The Ministry of Interior has launched a new law enforcement division called the National Government Administration Police Unit (NGAPU).
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen presided over the rollout on Friday, January 24, in Kwale County where he highlighted that the unit was established based on recommendations from the police reforms taskforce, chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.
Maraga proposed establishing the branch to clarify the roles of security structures at the regional, county, and local levels, thereby strengthening law enforcement.
The new branch will function under the Administration Police Service (AP) and is expected to improve coordination between the National Police Service (NPS) and National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), including chiefs.
“NGAPU, a new formation under the Administration Police Service will play a critical role in bridging policing gaps, particularly in rural areas, where community policing is key to enhancing security, building public trust, and fostering national peace,” read the statement in part.
Murkomen, on the other hand, acknowledged the significant challenges NGAO officials had faced in enforcing government policies. He noted that officials like chiefs had been subjected to attacks while implementing government programs in rural areas.
“The main role of this unit is to support government agencies in enforcing their administrative functions, especially in conflict management and peacebuilding.
“The unit will be useful when NGAO officials are settling land disputes, managing intercommunal conflict and in fighting alcohol and substance abuse,” he noted.
In 2022, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who was serving as Interior Cabinet Secretary at the time, announced plans to assign five police officers to each chief across the country.
Kindiki stated that all 3,950 chiefs and their 9,043 assistants across the country would be assigned the officers to strengthen security and improve governance.
“We are working towards reorganising ourselves between the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) and the police to ensure, as it was before, that every chief has police officers attached to them to enable them to be able to enforce law and order,” Kindiki stated.