Kenya's national law enforcement agency conducting security operations, criminal investigations, and protective services including recent anti-smuggling operations and Presidential Escort Unit deployments.
NAIROBI, Kenya July 9 – The Kenya Police Service has intensified its crackdown on human smuggling, with officers arresting 25 foreign nationals during a security operation targeting suspected illegal migration networks in Kisumu County. …
… Subscribe to our newsletterThe tragedy has once again drawn attention to safety standards in schools.Edward Mbugua, founder of Utumishi Girls and former Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service, pointed to systemic weaknesses in the education sector, calling for a nat …
… He said the institution was founded after a challenge from a parent during a prize-giving day at Utumishi Boys High School in July 2018, while he was serving as Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service. …
… Audio By Vocalize Utumishi Girls Academy founder and former Kenya Police Service (KPS) Deputy Inspector General Edward Mbugua has shared the emotional story behind the naming of the school's dormitory that was recently destroyed by fire. …
… In the deployments approved by the National Police Service Board and announced on Wednesday by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Tonui moves from the Kenya Police Service Directorate of Operations to head the elite GSU, one of the country’s most strategic security format …
… Leading the changes is Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Johana Kiplangat Tonui, who has been moved from the Kenya Police Service Directorate of Operations to become the new Commandant of the General Service Unit (GSU), one of the country's premier security formations. …
… Tonui moves from the Directorate of Operations within the Kenya Police Service, where he has been serving as an AIG, to take charge of the elite paramilitary unit.He succeeds Ranson Lolmodooni, who has led the GSU since July 12, 2024, after taking over from the current Deputy Ins …
… Upon arrival, Murkomen held talks with NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, focusing on a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Kenya Police Service and the NYPD that would support the establishment and operationalisation of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Uni …
… Nairobi currently operates with overlapping enforcement actors including the Kenya Police Service, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Administration Police, and county enforcement officers, alongside one of Africa’s largest private security industries. …
… Also present at the Madraka Day fete were Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja, Deputy Inspectors-General Eliud Lagat (Kenya Police Service) and Gilbert Masengeli (Administration Police Service) and Directorate of Criminal Investigations Director-General Mohammed Amin. …
Kenya Police arrested 25 foreign nationals without valid immigration documents during a security operation in Kisumu County's Nyamasaria, Kassawino and Mowlem areas. The suspects, comprising 12 Ugandan nationals, four Burundians, three Congolese, three Rwandans, two Tanzanians and one Egyptian, are expected to be arraigned in court as police investigate suspected illegal migration networks.
Why it matters
Arrest of 25 foreign nationals in a human smuggling operation demonstrates progress in combating organized illegal migration networks.
Kenya Police arrested 25 foreign nationals without valid immigration documents during a security operation in Kisumu County's Nyamasaria, Kassawino and Mowlem areas. The suspects, comprising 12 Ugandan nationals, four Burundians, three Congolese, three Rwandans, two Tanzanians and one Egyptian, are expected to be arraigned in court as police investigate suspected illegal migration networks.
A joint memorial service was held at Gilgil Stadium in Nakuru County for 15 schoolgirls who died in a dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Senior School two weeks prior. The ceremony, attended by hundreds of mourners including the First Lady and government officials, saw families honour the departed students amid renewed calls for stricter fire safety enforcement in learning institutions.
Former Deputy Inspector General Edward Mbugua, founder of Utumishi Girls Academy, has proposed abolishing boarding schools in Kenya and converting dormitories into laboratories and workshops. Speaking at a memorial service for sixteen Utumishi Girls High School students who died in a dormitory fire on May 27, Mbugua urged the government and education stakeholders to transition toward day schooling and strengthen local schools to prevent similar tragedies.
Utumishi Girls Academy founder Edward Mbugua explained that the school's dormitory destroyed by fire was named Meline Waithera Dormitory in honour of his late daughter, who died in a road accident in Nairobi in June 2021. He said leftover funeral contributions were used toward the dormitory's establishment.
Inspector General Douglas Kanja announced a reshuffle of three senior National Police Service officers, appointing Assistant Inspector General Johana Kiplangat Tonui as the new Commandant of the General Service Unit, with Fredrick Egesa Nyongesa elevated to Deputy Commandant. Paul Maingo Mumo was transferred to become Director of the Internal Affairs Unit, the department investigating complaints against police officers.
Inspector General Douglas Kanja has approved a major reshuffle of Kenya's senior security units. Assistant Inspector General Johana Kiplangat Tonui has been moved from the Kenya Police Service Directorate of Operations to become the new Commandant of the General Service Unit, with Assistant Inspector General Fredrick Egesa Nyongesa transferred from the GSU to serve as Deputy Commandant.
Assistant Inspector General Johana Tonui has been appointed the new commandant of the General Service Unit, moving from the Directorate of Operations. The appointment, approved by the National Police Service Board in a deployment letter dated June 10, is part of a broader reorganisation within the National Police Service aimed at enhancing operational efficiency.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is visiting the New York Police Department to draw lessons on intelligence-led policing, community-oriented approaches, and technology integration as Kenya moves forward with plans to establish a dedicated Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit to tackle rising security challenges.
The Standard opinion piece supports President Ruto's directive to establish a dedicated Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit, arguing the city's rapidly expanding population and economic activity have created security demands that exceed the current police architecture's capacity.
President William Ruto issued a formal apology to the people of Northern Kenya for state-sanctioned marginalisation and neglect resulting from a 1965 Cabinet Sessional Paper that concentrated development on so-called "high potential" areas, leaving the northern frontier without adequate roads, water, healthcare or schools.
Wajir Stadium held Kenya's 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations for the first time, with President William Ruto arriving at 8:30am to crowds that exceeded the venue's 10,000-seat capacity. The event, themed "Education, Skills and the Future," drew thousands of residents and visitors from early morning hours.
A private aircraft with registration 5Y-XCB experienced a nose landing gear malfunction while attempting to land at Olkiombo Airstrip in the Maasai Mara National Reserve on Monday morning. The pilot switched off the engine after the plane touched down and veered off the runway, coming to a stop about 50 meters away; all three people on board—the pilot Captain Mark Ross, his wife Margaret Mungai, and staff member Claire Clark—escaped unhurt.
Wajir Stadium hosted the 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations for the first time in the county, with thousands of Kenyans gathering at the newly expanded 10,000-seater venue. The event, themed "Education, Skills and the Future," drew crowds from early morning, with President William Ruto arriving at 8.30 am.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council has launched an investigation into the death of Brian Simiyu, who died after undergoing a surgical procedure at an unregistered medical facility in Trans Nzoia County. Preliminary findings indicate the procedure was conducted in an unlicensed, unlabelled premises that did not meet required medical standards.
Belgut MP Nelson Koech has welcomed recent changes to the Presidential Escort Unit, saying a more agile team was needed following a security breach in Kilifi County on Sunday, and calling for enhanced training of the unit.
Noah Kirwa Maiyo, a 30-year veteran police officer and VIP protection specialist, stepped down as Commandant of the Presidential Escort Unit on May 24, 2026. Maiyo had served for more than a decade in President William Ruto's inner security circle, overseeing protection operations since Ruto's tenure as Deputy President.
Kenya's National Police Service has announced a reshuffle of senior officers affecting specialized units, including the transfer of Noah Kirwa Maiyo from his position as Commandant of the Presidential Escort Unit to Kenya Police Headquarters under the Vigilance Department.
The Kenya Police Service has reshuffled senior officers at the Presidential Escort Unit following a security breach in Kilifi County where a man carrying a Bible briefly held President William Ruto before being removed. Presidential Escort Unit Commandant Noah Kirwa Maiyo was transferred to Vigilance, and William Sawe was appointed as the new commandant.
Following a security breach involving President Ruto in Kilifi County, where a man carrying a Bible briefly reached the president at a public event, the Kenya Police Service has reshuffled senior officers in the Presidential Escort Unit. The unit's commandant Noah Kirwa Maiyo was transferred to Vigilance, while William Sawe became the new commandant.
Kenya's Local Organising Committee is prioritising security ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with the Sports Principal Secretary presiding over a two-day CAF and LOC Security Workshop at Kasarani Stadium that brought together security leaders, the Football Kenya Federation, and the Ministry of Sports.
The National Police Service is modernizing its security approach for the 2027 General Election, investing in advanced technology including body cameras, digital observation buses, and CCTV systems. The service is also training 10,000 police recruits at various colleges and has sought increased parliamentary budgetary support to strengthen personnel capacity and operational readiness.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen visited the National Police College in Kiganjo to assess training of over 5,000 recruits, emphasizing the need for discipline, integrity, and adaptability among police officers to strengthen national security and respond to evolving crime. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to ongoing police reforms including improved welfare, enhanced professionalism, and institutional strengthening.
A parliamentary watchdog committee has directed the National Land Commission to recover a six-acre parcel of land in Voi Municipality that was earmarked for an NTSA motor vehicle inspection centre but has been grabbed and encroached upon by squatters. The land, originally set aside in 1969 and later transferred to NTSA, is the subject of an ongoing court case with the NLC mandated to determine the legitimacy of competing claims and recommend a resolution within 180 days.