Japhet Koome: The man Kenyans blame for the killings, abductions of anti-gov't protesters

His resignation came a day after President William Ruto fired his Cabinet in an attempt to reconstitute following anti-government protests that peaked with the breaching of Parliament as Kenyans demanded changes in government.

The protests, which led to the president dropping the controversial Finance Bill 2024 and firing the entire Cabinet, were met with brutal force from the National Police Service leading to the deaths of over 40 people according to Human Rights groups.

Many more who were thought to be leaders of the protests were abducted, and tortured, a few lucky ones were found alive and abandoned while some are still missing.

This chain of events laid the blame squarely on Koome's feet and Kenyans demanded his resignation and even prosecution.

On Friday, he handed in his resignation to President William Ruto with no reasons given.

So, who is Japhet Koome?

Upon assuming office in November 2022, Koome, who has 33 years of experience in the Police Service under his belt, was the fourth Inspector General of the National Police Service, a position established following the promulgation of the 2010 Kenya Constitution.

He took over the mantle from IG Hilary Mutyambai who resigned on health grounds.

Koome joined the police service in 1991 when he was enlisted in the then-Kenya Police Force as a Police Constable. This was after graduating from the University of Nairobi in 1990, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering.

IG Koome's passion for joining the police force is said to have begun while he was still a student at Kagumo High School.

While in Form Five Koome is reported to have been visiting the Kenya Police College – Kiganjo twice a week under a programme dubbed, Kenya Police Cadet Cops, to learn police work.

After graduating from Kiganjo, Koome was first posted as a Police Constable in Nairobi before he was deployed to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) in Gilgil.

"It is while at the unit credited with the recovery of stolen livestock that Koome was promoted from a Constable to an Inspector of Police and by 1998, he was a gazetted officer, at the rank of Superintendent of Police," reads part of his profile.

Koome would later be recalled to general duty and posted to Buru Buru Police Division where he was the deputy divisional commander.

The former police boss also served as the OCPD Machakos, Maragua, Buru Buru and Central in Nairobi where he was credited for ruthlessly dealing with armed criminal gangs in Nairobi’s Eastlands and bank robbers who had been terrorising city residents.

He went on to serve as the Director of Planning at Police headquarters for 10 years where he spearheaded the police housing and modernization programme where dilapidated police structures were replaced with modest buildings.

Prior to his nomination to the position of Inspector General by President Ruto, Koome served as the Nairobi police boss, the principal assistant to the Deputy Inspector General at Vigilance House and the Commandant National Police College Main Campus-Kiganjo.