Douglas Kanja will know his fate next week when the MPs will debate and vote on whether to approve his nomination as the next Inspector General of Police.
A decision on his appointment is expected to be reached following the discussions.
The National Assembly resumes business on Tuesday, 17th of September, and top of the agenda is the motion on the appointment of Kanja as the IGP.
This would be the last stage of the approval process after Senators unanimously approved Kanja’s nomination to become the next top cop.
The joint committee of National Assembly Administration and Internal Security and Senate Internal Security, Defence and Foreign Relations earlier vetted and approved Kanja.
Baringo Senator William Cheptumo who chairs the Senate Internal Security and Defence Committee moved the motion which was unanimously endorsed by senators.
“Committees having considered the suitability, competence, experience and integrity of Mr. Douglas Kanja Kirocho, CBS, OGW following the approval process, and taking into account its observations and findings,” said Cheptumo.
And pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution, Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, (Cap. 7F), the National Police Service Act, (Cap. 84), the National Assembly Standing Orders and the Senate Standing Orders, recommend that Parliament approves the nomination of Mr. Douglas Kanja Kirocho, CBS, OGW for appointment as the Inspector-General of the National Police Service.
But as he awaits his confirmation, we have exclusively learnt of a clandestine move to deny Kanja the coveted seat.
Three senior police officers are reportedly lobbying MPs to reject Kanja’s nomination on the grounds of age limit.
Sources close to the National Assembly intimidated to us that SIAG Munga Nyale and two other very senior officers at Vigilance House are among senior cops keen on Kanja failing the vetting process.
“ Nyale believe he stands as a favourite to be IGP if Kanja is rejected,” said an MP from Mt Kenya region, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
As the second in line, Masengeli would also be the beneficiary if Kanja failed to be confirmed by Mps. Nyale also applied for the IGP position but was unsuccessful.
Nyale was earlier tipped to be the DCI boss but was overlooked and Amin Mohamed appointed instead.
Prior to his appointment, Kirocho, 60, served as the commandant of the General Service Unit since 2018. He was appointed DIG in April 2023.
His extensive experience includes roles such as Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Commandant of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), and Director of Operations at the National Police Service (NPS).
Kirocho, a firearms specialist, has also served as the Police Service Chief Armourer.
Throughout his career, Kirocho has served in diverse regions across Kenya, including Nairobi, the Coast, Eastern, and Rift Valley regions.
In 2019, Kirocho applied unsuccessfully to succeed Joseph Boinnet as the IG upon his retirement. During the same year, he distinguished himself by leading GSU officers during the Dusit2 Hotel terror attack, earning widespread recognition for his leadership abilities.
A lot is expected of Kanja as the IGP, and as he promised during the vetting, Kenyans should expect to see a reformed and modern police service.
Among the major moves he has proposed is the introduction of body cameras for police. This will greatly improve service delivery and also inspire greater public confidence in the police.
The video and audio recordings from the body cameras will be used by the police to demonstrate transparency to Kenyans, document statements, observations, behaviours and other evidence.
The body cameras will deter and discourage unprofessional, illegal, and inappropriate behaviour by both police officers and members of the public.
A career police officer, Kanja has risen through the ranks from a constable, and his experience will help him address and implement the much needed reforms.
There are major reforms pending in the service, and there is no more suitable person to steer their implementation than Kanja who has served in all ranks and across the country.
Kanja’s in tray is full and he is expected to hit the ground running. There is an air of hope among the police officers regarding the proposals contained in a report by the National Taskforce on Improvement of Terms and Conditions of Service and other Reforms for Members of the National Police Service, National Youth Service and Kenya Prisons Service.
While serving as the acting IGP, Kanja had sent an internal memo to police asking them to embrace the proposed reforms.
The ambitious reforms are expected to address the welfare of police officers. They are anchored on three services, oversight and accountability, institutional capacity development and human resource management and development, as well as operational preparedness and logistical capability.
Observers point that Kanja is most suitable and fit for the task ahead. His admirable career spans nearly four decades in law enforcement, during which he rose through the ranks to the top command of the Service.
He has served with distinction as Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service, Commandant of the General Service Unit for a period of five years, Deputy Commandant of the General Service Unit for three years, County Police Commander in charge of Kilifi County, Deputy Commandant of Kenya Airports Police Unit, Chief Armourer at the Police Headquarters and Deputy Chief Armourer at the Kenya Police Service Headquarters, among other high-level positions within the ranks of the National Police Service.
Kanja was born on September 22, 1963 in Mathira West, Nyeri county. He attended Njatheini Primary School before joining Sagana Technical School for his secondary education.
He later joined Murang’a High School for his A Levels before being recruited to join the police force in 1985.
He is married with three children and six grandchildren.
