Hillary Nzioka Mutyambai is the current Inspector General of the Kenya Police having succeeded Joseph Kipchirchir Boinnet. He is the third IG under the 2010 Kenyan constitution. The first was David Kimaiyo, who resigned hours after terrorists attacked a quarry in Mandera killing 36 Kenyans who were asleep in their tents. Kimaiyo was succeeded by Boinnet, who left office in 2019 following the end of his term on 11th March 2019.
Hillary Mutyambai was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta, joining the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) head Twalib Mbarak in the list of NIS men appointed to lead key institutions during president Uhuru’s tenure.
The current IG has trained locally and internationally on matters security. He has special training on counter-terrorism and advanced security from the US and Operational Management learned in the United Kingdom and Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism in Israel.
Here is his profile as told by WoK.
Age
He was born in 1964 in Mwala, Machakos county.
Education
He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Nairobi. He also holds a Master of Arts Degree in National Security Policy from the Austrian National University.
Career
In 1991, he joined the police service as a junior officer. His hard work saw him rise to the rank of superintendent and in 1998, he joined the Directorate of Security Intelligence.
He continued to rise up the ranks and became the deputy director in charge of counter terrorism in the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The NIS in general has a mandate to identify threats against the security of Kenya, collect and analyze Intelligence on these threats, and advise the government accordingly through appreciating intelligence reports. In his role as deputy director, he is credited for working closely with the police and military to fight the scourge of terrorism in the country.
For four years, between 2000 and 2004, he served at the Kenya High Commission in Kampala, Uganda as a political attaché.
He has also served as the Coast region National Intelligence Service (NIS) boss.
In April 2019, he was sworn in as the new Inspector General of Kenya. During the swearing in, he promised to remove crooked police officers in the force.
As IG, he is in charge of the 100,000 personnel in the Kenya Police Service (KPS), Administration Police Service (APS), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and General Service Unit (GSU).
In 2020, the incidences of police brutality were on the rise with innocent Kenyans losing their lives owing to this. In a Twitter chat with Kenyans in June, he noted some incidences of brutality happen in remote areas, therefore, urging Kenyans to send videos of rogue officers.
“We encourage all Kenyans to keep reporting cases of police brutality. I’m aware some of these cases occur at night and others in remote parts of Kenya. Forward videos to us,” he said.
Marriage
The IG is married to professor Susan Nzioka and he is a father to two children.
Illness
The top cop was reportedly rushed to the Aga Khan Hospital on 13th May, 2021 where he was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It is not clear what ailed Mutyambai whose medical condition remains a closely guarded secret. Hillary Mutyambai was moved to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) two days later before being transferred to the general ward.
He was out and about shortly discharging his duties looking all healthy days after the reports of his illness emerged.
The IG was again rushed to Aga Khan hospital (August 2022) after he collapsed in his Karen Home after experiencing breathing difficulties. According to media reports, Mutyambai is still in HDU and efforts to fly him out of the country are proving difficult as he is still unresponsive.
