IG Kanja unveils Nairobi Metropolitan Police, creates four new units in NPS shakeup

The changes are contained in the National Police Service Standing (Amendment) Orders, 2026, published under Legal Notice No. 138 in a special issue of the Kenya Gazette dated July 30, 2026. 

The amendments, signed by Inspector-General Douglas Kanja, repeal Chapter 7 of the 2017 Service Standing Orders and replace it with a new structure governing police formations, units and components.

Under the new framework, the Kenya Police Service will now comprise the Nairobi Metropolitan Police, Kenya Police Marine Unit and Kenya Police Quick Response Unit alongside existing formations such as the General Service Unit (GSU), Traffic Police Unit and the Presidential Escort Unit. 

Others include the Kenya Airports Police Unit, Kenya Railways and Ports Police Unit, K9 Police Unit, Diplomatic Police Unit, Tourist Police Unit and the Government Vehicle Check Unit.

The Administration Police Service has also been reorganised to include the newly established Judiciary Police Unit, which joins the Security of Government Buildings and Very Important Persons Protection Unit, Rapid Deployment Police Unit, Border Police Unit, Anti-Stock Theft Police Unit, Critical Infrastructure Police Unit, Energy Police Unit, Mining Police Unit, Water Police Unit and the National Government Administration Police Unit.

The amendments give the Inspector-General the authority to organise the National Police Service into formations, units and components at the national level.

They also require that any new formation, or any variation or abolition of an existing one, can only be undertaken with the approval of the Inspector-General.

The revised Standing Orders further empower the Inspector-General to integrate, merge or reorganise police formations, units, investigative commands and bureaus where necessary. Any such direction must be issued in writing.

In cases where different police formations have overlapping mandates, the Inspector-General will also have the responsibility of issuing written directions to resolve the conflict.

The Gazette Notice further requires the Inspector-General to approve all operational guidelines and standard operating procedures for police formations, units and investigative commands before they are implemented. The approved procedures must also be made available to police officers.

Under the new structure, the Deputy Inspectors-General will determine the command structures, deployment and operational standing orders for the Kenya Police Service and the Administration Police Service in consultation with the Inspector-General.

Similarly, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been granted powers to determine the command structure, deployment and organisation of DCI formations and specialised investigative commands in consultation with the Inspector-General.

The amended Standing Orders retain key DCI formations, including the Counter-Terrorism Bureau, National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau, Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, National Police Service Forensic Laboratory, Kenya Airports Criminal Investigations and Kenya Railways and Ports Criminal Investigations.

They also preserve specialised investigative commands such as the Homicide Investigations Bureau and INTERPOL National Central Bureau.

The new development comes as Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen had earlier revealed plans to establish the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit to enhance security in the capital. 

In June 2026, the duo held talks with UK Home Secretary Rt. Hon. Shabana Mahmood, Minister of State for Policing and Crime Sarah Jones, and the leadership of the City of London Police in London to draw lessons on UK's policy on public safety and crime prevention.