Ruto nominates Douglas Kanja to replace Koome as police IG
Acting Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja.
President William Ruto has set out to fill the ranks of the National Police Service following the resignation of Inspector-General Japheth Koome over the handling of anti-government protests.
Dr Ruto on Thursday nominated Douglas Kanja to take over from Mr Koome, if cleared by both the National Assembly and Senate.
In a bid to ensure there is no vacuum as the national security apparatus battles to contain the unrest caused anti-government demos, the Head of State appointed Gilbert Masengeli, the newly nominated Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Administration Police, as the acting Inspector-General.
Gilbert Masengeli.
Until his appointment, Mr Masengeli was the commandant National Police Campus in Embakasi.
At the same time, the president appointed Eliud Kipkoech Lagat as the next Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Kenya Police.
Kanja's rise
Mr Kanja, the IG nominee, has had a stellar career spanning nearly four decades in law enforcement, during which he rose through the ranks to the top command of the Service.
He previously served as commandant of the General Service Unit for a period of five years and deputy commandant of the same unit.
He has also served as deputy commandant of the Kenya Airports Police Unit, chief armourer at the police headquarters and deputy chief armourer at the Kenya Police Service headquarters, among other high-level positions within the ranks of the national police service.
A career police officer who has served for a cumulative period of 39 years, Mr Kanja began his career as a recruit police constable in 1985.
He later rose through the ranks after being promoted to police constable, police corporal, acting inspector of police, inspector of police, chief inspector of police, acting superintendent of police, superintendent of police, senior superintendent of police, senior assistant commissioner of police, commissioner of police, assistant inspector general, senior assistant Inspector-General.
The two DIG positions had attracted a total of eight candidates who underwent interviews on Monday this week.
The positions fell vacant following the redeployment of Noordin Gabow to the Public Service and the appointment of Douglas Kanja as the acting inspector-general.
Before the changes, Mr Gabow was the DIG Administration Police while Mr Kanja was the DIG Kenya Police Service.
