President William Ruto has officially appointed Douglas Kanja as the new Inspector General (IG) of the National Police Service. This appointment follows Kanja’s approval by both the National Assembly and the Senate after a thorough vetting process.
Kanja steps into the role previously held by Japhet Koome, who resigned in July. According to a gazette notice from the President, “I, William Ruto, appoint Douglas Kanja Kirocho to be the Inspector General of the National Police Service for a term of 4 years.”
Before this appointment, Kanja served as the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service (KPS). He had also briefly acted as the Inspector General following Koome’s resignation, during which Deputy IG (Administration Police) Gilbert Masengeli took on the role of Acting IG.
Kanja brings with him nearly four decades of law enforcement experience. He began his career in 1985 and has risen through the ranks with notable achievements. He was appointed as the Deputy Inspector General of KPS in April 2023, and before that, he served as the commandant of the General Service Unit (GSU) from 2018.
With his extensive experience and leadership in law enforcement, Kanja, now 60, is expected to hit the ground running as he addresses the many challenges facing the police service.