Parliament approves Douglas Kanja as new Police IG

The National Assembly has approved the appointment of Douglas Kanja as the new Inspector General of Police.

This after Kanja appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on vetting comprising of the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, as well as the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations.

The MPs resolved to uphold his nomination for the position, setting the stage for Kanja to be sworn into office by President William Ruto.

The approval comes barely a month after the Senate - by resolution on August 20, 2024 - approved the appointment of Kanja as the new National Police Service (NPS) boss.

Kanja, who previously served as the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), will now step into the shoes left by his former boss Japhet Koome who resigned from office in July this year.

The 60-year-old boasts of a four-decade career in law enforcement which started in 1985, after which he rose through the ranks to the top command of the police service. 

While serving as the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service, Kanja was also the General Service Unit (GSU) Commandant for five years.

He previously served as the GSU Deputy Commandant for three years, Kilifi County Police Commander, Kenya Airports Police Unit Deputy Commandant, Chief Armourer at the Police Headquarters, and Deputy Chief Armourer, among other high-level positions within the ranks of the National Police Service.